scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question
Journal Article•DOI•

Coming Out in Christianity: Religion, Identity and Community

Ashon T. Crawley, Alton B. Pollard
01 Jan 2007-Pneuma (Brill)-Vol. 29, Iss: 1, pp 137-138
About: This article is published in Pneuma.The article was published on 2007-01-01. It has received 52 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Identity (social science).
Citations
More filters
Journal Article•DOI•
We are God's Children, Y'All: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Lesbian- and Gay-Affirming Congregations

[...]

Krista McQueeney1•
Salem College1
01 Feb 2009-Social Problems
TL;DR: This paper examined how lesbian, gay, and straight-but-affirming members of lesbian-and gayaffirming churches in the South challenged a deep-rooted Christian belief in homosexual sin.
Abstract: This article examines how lesbian, gay, and straight-but-affirming members of lesbian- and gay-affirming churches in the South challenged a deep-rooted Christian belief in homosexual sin. Data are taken from 200 hours of participant observation and 25 in-depth interviews in two Protestant churches: one predominantly black, working class, lesbian, and evangelical, and the other mostly white, middle class, heterosexual, and liberal. I identify three strategies lesbian, gay, and straight-but-affirming church members used to accommodate—but not assimilate—to heteronormative conceptions of the "good Christian." First, some black lesbians minimized their sexuality as secondary to the Christian identity. Second, most lesbian and gay members—both black and white— normalized their sexuality by enacting Christian morals of monogamy, manhood, and motherhood. Third, a small group of black lesbian/gay and white, straight-but-affirming members moralized their sexuality as grounds for challenging homophobia in the church. Using these strategies, church members both resisted notions of homosexual sin and reproduced a "politics of respectability" (Warner 1999) among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Findings shed empirical light on two issues in the social problems literature: (1) the inseparability of race and gender from sexual identity; and (2) the importance of an intersectional analysis in assessing the possibilities of faith-based strategies for sexual equality.

175 citations

Cites background from "Coming Out in Christianity: Religio..."

  • ...Andrew Yip (2002) points to religion as a framework for practicing sexual inclusion, and Gary Comstock (1996), David Shallenberger (1998), Timothy Buzzell (2001), and Melissa Wilcox (2003) argue that lesbians and gay men are creating more inclusive Christian churches....

    [...]

Journal Article•DOI•
“Abomination”—Life as a Bible Belt Gay

[...]

Bernadette Barton1•
Morehead State University1
01 Apr 2010-Journal of Homosexuality
TL;DR: The geographic region of the Bible Belt intersects with religious-based homophobia and Informants explained that negative social attitudes about homosexuality caused a range of harmful consequences in their lives including the fear of going to hell, depression, low self-esteem, and feelings of worthlessness.
Abstract: Drawing on observation, autoethnography, and audio-taped interviews, this article explores the religious backgrounds and experiences of Bible Belt gays. In the Bible Belt, Christianity is not confi...

166 citations

Cites background or result from "Coming Out in Christianity: Religio..."

  • ...The process Laura describes here of biblical study and research is one other researchers have noted among their informants (O’Brien, 2004; Walton, 2006; Wilcox, 2003; Wolkomir, 2006)....

    [...]

  • ...…of and observations about gay, lesbian, or queer culture, including closeting, coming out, identity formation, sexuality, and same-sex communities (Black & Rhorer, 2001; Califia, 2002; Gamson, 2006; Hollibaugh, 2000; Seidman, 2004; Stein, 1993, 2006; Whisman, 1995; White, 1995; Wilcox, 2003)....

    [...]

  • ...(O’Brien, 2004; Truluck, 2000; Walton, 2006; Wilcox, 2003), for many gay individuals, rejecting religion, at least at first, is part of the coming out process....

    [...]

  • ...As both my work in this article as well as others’ work illustrates (O’Brien, 2004; Truluck, 2000; Walton, 2006; Wilcox, 2003), for many gay individuals, rejecting religion, at least at first, is part of the coming out process....

    [...]

  • ...Authors have also shared research by publishing books and essays on their personal histories of and observations about gay, lesbian, or queer culture, including closeting, coming out, identity formation, sexuality, and same-sex communities (Black & Rhorer, 2001; Califia, 2002; Gamson, 2006; Hollibaugh, 2000; Seidman, 2004; Stein, 1993, 2006; Whisman, 1995; White, 1995; Wilcox, 2003)....

    [...]

Journal Article•DOI•
“That’s What a Man Is Supposed to Do” Compensatory Manhood Acts in an LGBT Christian Church

[...]

J. Edward Sumerau1•
Florida State University1
05 Apr 2012-Gender & Society
TL;DR: The authors examined how gay Christian men constructed compensatory manhood acts, symbolically positioned them as superior to supposedly promiscuous, self-centered, and effeminate others by emphasizing paternal stewardship, stressing emotional control, and defining intimate relationships in a Christian manner.
Abstract: In this article, I examine how gay Christian men constructed compensatory manhood acts. Based on more than 450 hours of fieldwork in a southeastern LGBT Christian organization, I analyze how a group of gay men, responding to sexist, heterosexist, and religious stigma, as well as the acquisition of a new pastor, constructed identities as gay Christian men by (1) emphasizing paternal stewardship, (2) stressing emotional control and inherent rationality, and (3) defining intimate relationships in a Christian manner. These subordinated men, regardless of their intentions, collaboratively drew on and reproduced cultural notions that facilitate and justify the subordination of women and sexual minorities. Specifically, their compensatory manhood acts symbolically positioned them as superior to supposedly promiscuous, self-centered, and effeminate others. In conclusion, I draw out implications for understanding how groups of gay Christian men engage in compensatory manhood acts, and the consequences these action...

95 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Outlaws or in-laws? Queer theory, LGBT studies, and religious studies.

[...]

Melissa M. Wilcox1•
Whitman College1
01 Jan 2006-Journal of Homosexuality
TL;DR: This essay assesses the current state of the “proto-fields” of LGBT studies and queer studies in religion, offers suggestions for new directions in the future, and considers the potential benefits of the interaction of these fields.
Abstract: SUMMARY Many queer theorists, like many queer activists and perhaps many LGBT people in general, regard religion as so inimical to their purposes and lives that it is not even worthy of critique; references to religion in queer theory, queer studies, and even LGBT studies are usually sparse, brief, and generally derogatory. Likewise, within most of the field of religious studies, queerness is rarely an issue of concern or even consciousness except in the context of organizational tensions over the proper roles of “homosexuals.” While there is a growing body of work that brings these two fields together, the study of religion seems to be adapting only haltingly and partially to contemporary developments in LGBT studies and queer theory. This essay assesses the current state of the “proto-fields” of LGBT studies and queer studies in religion, offers suggestions for new directions in the future, and considers the potential benefits of the interaction of these fields.

59 citations

Cites background from "Coming Out in Christianity: Religio..."

  • ...…Christianity–a local support group for lesbian and gay evangelical Christians (Thumma, 1991), and the Metropolitan Community Churches (Warner, 1995; Wilcox, 2003)–and come to conclusions that agree closely with anthropological findings regarding both the functions and the gendered nature of such…...

    [...]

  • ...Three recent studies, however, examine LGBT organizations that are based in fairly standard versions of Christianity–a local support group for lesbian and gay evangelical Christians (Thumma, 1991), and the Metropolitan Community Churches (Warner, 1995; Wilcox, 2003)–and come to conclusions that agree closely with anthropological findings regarding both the functions and the gendered nature of such groups....

    [...]

Journal Article•DOI•
The Limits of Homonormativity: Constructions of Bisexual and Transgender People in the Post-gay Era:

[...]

Lain A. B. Mathers1, J. E. Sumerau2, Ryan T. Cragun2•
University of Illinois at Chicago1, University of Tampa2
20 Jan 2018-Sociological Perspectives
TL;DR: In this paper, the limitations of homonormativity in the pursuit of sexual and gender equality are discussed based on 20 interviews with cisgender, heterosexual Christian women, demonstrating how even peop...
Abstract: This article addresses limitations of homonormativity in the pursuit of sexual and gender equality. Based on 20 interviews with cisgender, heterosexual Christian women, we demonstrate how even peop...

54 citations

Cites background from "Coming Out in Christianity: Religio..."

  • ...We outlined these findings and the broader ramifications related to BTLG people, Christianity, and tolerance elsewhere (Sumerau et al. 2017)....

    [...]

  • ...Both Christianity and homonormativity, for example, require people to adopt and perform romantic and sexual relationships (1) of only one type over the life course (i.e., monosexuality, see Barringer et al. 2017), (2) with only one person long term over the life course and concentrated in the institution of marriage (i.e., monogamy), and (3) focused on reproduction and nuclear families....

    [...]

  • ...On one hand, some cisgender lesbian and gay people have achieved better treatment from, greater recognition within, and unprecedented integration into mainstream institutions including but not limited to Christianity and other religions, legal marriage, legal family forms, the military, residential neighborhoods, and educational settings....

    [...]

  • ...First, bisexualities clearly disrupt “monosexist” assumptions (Moss 2012) embedded within both Christianity and homonormativity....

    [...]

  • ...…societal attitudes about lesbian and gay people have shifted in relation to changes in Christian identification (Sherkat et al. 2011), the acceptance of lesbian and gay people in some mainstream Christian traditions (Moon 2004), and the rise of explicitly lesbian and gay Christianity (Wilcox 2003)....

    [...]

References
More filters
Journal Article•DOI•
We are God's Children, Y'All: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Lesbian- and Gay-Affirming Congregations

[...]

Krista McQueeney1•
Salem College1
01 Feb 2009-Social Problems
TL;DR: This paper examined how lesbian, gay, and straight-but-affirming members of lesbian-and gayaffirming churches in the South challenged a deep-rooted Christian belief in homosexual sin.
Abstract: This article examines how lesbian, gay, and straight-but-affirming members of lesbian- and gay-affirming churches in the South challenged a deep-rooted Christian belief in homosexual sin. Data are taken from 200 hours of participant observation and 25 in-depth interviews in two Protestant churches: one predominantly black, working class, lesbian, and evangelical, and the other mostly white, middle class, heterosexual, and liberal. I identify three strategies lesbian, gay, and straight-but-affirming church members used to accommodate—but not assimilate—to heteronormative conceptions of the "good Christian." First, some black lesbians minimized their sexuality as secondary to the Christian identity. Second, most lesbian and gay members—both black and white— normalized their sexuality by enacting Christian morals of monogamy, manhood, and motherhood. Third, a small group of black lesbian/gay and white, straight-but-affirming members moralized their sexuality as grounds for challenging homophobia in the church. Using these strategies, church members both resisted notions of homosexual sin and reproduced a "politics of respectability" (Warner 1999) among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Findings shed empirical light on two issues in the social problems literature: (1) the inseparability of race and gender from sexual identity; and (2) the importance of an intersectional analysis in assessing the possibilities of faith-based strategies for sexual equality.

175 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
“Abomination”—Life as a Bible Belt Gay

[...]

Bernadette Barton1•
Morehead State University1
01 Apr 2010-Journal of Homosexuality
TL;DR: The geographic region of the Bible Belt intersects with religious-based homophobia and Informants explained that negative social attitudes about homosexuality caused a range of harmful consequences in their lives including the fear of going to hell, depression, low self-esteem, and feelings of worthlessness.
Abstract: Drawing on observation, autoethnography, and audio-taped interviews, this article explores the religious backgrounds and experiences of Bible Belt gays. In the Bible Belt, Christianity is not confi...

166 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
“That’s What a Man Is Supposed to Do” Compensatory Manhood Acts in an LGBT Christian Church

[...]

J. Edward Sumerau1•
Florida State University1
05 Apr 2012-Gender & Society
TL;DR: The authors examined how gay Christian men constructed compensatory manhood acts, symbolically positioned them as superior to supposedly promiscuous, self-centered, and effeminate others by emphasizing paternal stewardship, stressing emotional control, and defining intimate relationships in a Christian manner.
Abstract: In this article, I examine how gay Christian men constructed compensatory manhood acts. Based on more than 450 hours of fieldwork in a southeastern LGBT Christian organization, I analyze how a group of gay men, responding to sexist, heterosexist, and religious stigma, as well as the acquisition of a new pastor, constructed identities as gay Christian men by (1) emphasizing paternal stewardship, (2) stressing emotional control and inherent rationality, and (3) defining intimate relationships in a Christian manner. These subordinated men, regardless of their intentions, collaboratively drew on and reproduced cultural notions that facilitate and justify the subordination of women and sexual minorities. Specifically, their compensatory manhood acts symbolically positioned them as superior to supposedly promiscuous, self-centered, and effeminate others. In conclusion, I draw out implications for understanding how groups of gay Christian men engage in compensatory manhood acts, and the consequences these action...

95 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Outlaws or in-laws? Queer theory, LGBT studies, and religious studies.

[...]

Melissa M. Wilcox1•
Whitman College1
01 Jan 2006-Journal of Homosexuality
TL;DR: This essay assesses the current state of the “proto-fields” of LGBT studies and queer studies in religion, offers suggestions for new directions in the future, and considers the potential benefits of the interaction of these fields.
Abstract: SUMMARY Many queer theorists, like many queer activists and perhaps many LGBT people in general, regard religion as so inimical to their purposes and lives that it is not even worthy of critique; references to religion in queer theory, queer studies, and even LGBT studies are usually sparse, brief, and generally derogatory. Likewise, within most of the field of religious studies, queerness is rarely an issue of concern or even consciousness except in the context of organizational tensions over the proper roles of “homosexuals.” While there is a growing body of work that brings these two fields together, the study of religion seems to be adapting only haltingly and partially to contemporary developments in LGBT studies and queer theory. This essay assesses the current state of the “proto-fields” of LGBT studies and queer studies in religion, offers suggestions for new directions in the future, and considers the potential benefits of the interaction of these fields.

59 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
The Limits of Homonormativity: Constructions of Bisexual and Transgender People in the Post-gay Era:

[...]

Lain A. B. Mathers1, J. E. Sumerau2, Ryan T. Cragun2•
University of Illinois at Chicago1, University of Tampa2
20 Jan 2018-Sociological Perspectives
TL;DR: In this paper, the limitations of homonormativity in the pursuit of sexual and gender equality are discussed based on 20 interviews with cisgender, heterosexual Christian women, demonstrating how even peop...
Abstract: This article addresses limitations of homonormativity in the pursuit of sexual and gender equality. Based on 20 interviews with cisgender, heterosexual Christian women, we demonstrate how even peop...

54 citations

Related Papers (5)
Christianity as a World Religion

[...]

01 Mar 1982-British Journal of Religious Education
Harry Undy
World Christianity: Contours of an Approach

[...]

10 Dec 2020
Martha Frederiks
African Identities and World Christianity in the Twentieth Century

[...]

01 Jan 2008-Mission Studies
Stefan Höschele
The Rise of ‘New Generation’ Churches in Kerala Christianity

[...]

10 Dec 2020
Stanley John
Christian Theology in Asia

[...]

01 Jan 2011-Journal of Reformed Theology
Jaeseung Cha