The Confession of an Unrepentant Lesbian Ex-Mormon, Or, Hanging Out with Gay Mormons in Salt Lake City

The Confession of an Unrepentant Lesbian Ex-Mormon, Or, Hanging Out with Gay Mormons in Salt Lake City

Author: Sue-Ann Post

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 9780733315367

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In June 2003 Sue-Ann Post was invited to be the keynote speaker at the annual Affirmation conference in Salt Lake City. Affirmation is a group of gay and lesbian Mormons, a group that is reviled by the mainstream church body. As a lesbian ex-Mormon she simply had to go. Her early life had been shaped by her mother's fundamentalist devotion to the church, but she forcibly rejected it all when she realised that she was a lesbian. She became aggressively atheist in her views and took to ridiculing the religion in her stage show. Visiting the epicentre of Mormonism was bound to be a major head-spin ... The Confession of an Unrepentant Lesbian Ex-Mormon is Sue-Ann's intensely personal account of her time in Salt Lake City and her inner grapplings with notions of faith, redemption, honesty and sexuality. As befits a stand-up comedian, it is frequently funny, unflinching and acerbic. It is also searching and heartfelt: a passionate interrogation of the capacity of religion to both enrich and distort our moral understandings.


Book Synopsis The Confession of an Unrepentant Lesbian Ex-Mormon, Or, Hanging Out with Gay Mormons in Salt Lake City by : Sue-Ann Post

Download or read book The Confession of an Unrepentant Lesbian Ex-Mormon, Or, Hanging Out with Gay Mormons in Salt Lake City written by Sue-Ann Post and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In June 2003 Sue-Ann Post was invited to be the keynote speaker at the annual Affirmation conference in Salt Lake City. Affirmation is a group of gay and lesbian Mormons, a group that is reviled by the mainstream church body. As a lesbian ex-Mormon she simply had to go. Her early life had been shaped by her mother's fundamentalist devotion to the church, but she forcibly rejected it all when she realised that she was a lesbian. She became aggressively atheist in her views and took to ridiculing the religion in her stage show. Visiting the epicentre of Mormonism was bound to be a major head-spin ... The Confession of an Unrepentant Lesbian Ex-Mormon is Sue-Ann's intensely personal account of her time in Salt Lake City and her inner grapplings with notions of faith, redemption, honesty and sexuality. As befits a stand-up comedian, it is frequently funny, unflinching and acerbic. It is also searching and heartfelt: a passionate interrogation of the capacity of religion to both enrich and distort our moral understandings.

Bad Mormon

Bad Mormon

Author: Heather Gay

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2023-02-07

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1982199539

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"The funny, brash, and vulnerable memoir from the star of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City bravely explores her leaving the Mormon Church and her journey to success in business, television, and single motherhood. Straight off the slopes and into the spotlight, Heather Gay is known to dish God's honest truth. Whether as a businesswoman, mother, or television personality, Heather is unafraid to blaze a new trail, even if it means losing family, friends, and even her church. A born and bred Mormon, Heather did everything that was expected of her and then some. From an eighteen-month mission to attending Brigham Young University and marrying into church royalty, Heather was the ultimate good Mormon. But her seemingly perfect life was upended when her husband unexpectedly filed for divorce and she suddenly found herself struggling to find healing after heartbreak and accomplishment after abandonment. Now, with her signature witty, compassionate, and charming voice, Heather recounts her difficult but rewarding experiences navigating life post-divorce and post-Mormonism. She explores the challenges of raising strong women despite feeling broken and teases out the complicated relationship between duty to self and duty to God. An honest, witty, and ultimately healing memoir, Bad Mormon is an unputdownable read in the vein of Unveiling Grace, What Remains, and One Day You'll Thank Me"--


Book Synopsis Bad Mormon by : Heather Gay

Download or read book Bad Mormon written by Heather Gay and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2023-02-07 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The funny, brash, and vulnerable memoir from the star of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City bravely explores her leaving the Mormon Church and her journey to success in business, television, and single motherhood. Straight off the slopes and into the spotlight, Heather Gay is known to dish God's honest truth. Whether as a businesswoman, mother, or television personality, Heather is unafraid to blaze a new trail, even if it means losing family, friends, and even her church. A born and bred Mormon, Heather did everything that was expected of her and then some. From an eighteen-month mission to attending Brigham Young University and marrying into church royalty, Heather was the ultimate good Mormon. But her seemingly perfect life was upended when her husband unexpectedly filed for divorce and she suddenly found herself struggling to find healing after heartbreak and accomplishment after abandonment. Now, with her signature witty, compassionate, and charming voice, Heather recounts her difficult but rewarding experiences navigating life post-divorce and post-Mormonism. She explores the challenges of raising strong women despite feeling broken and teases out the complicated relationship between duty to self and duty to God. An honest, witty, and ultimately healing memoir, Bad Mormon is an unputdownable read in the vein of Unveiling Grace, What Remains, and One Day You'll Thank Me"--

Conservative Christian Identity & Same-sex Orientation

Conservative Christian Identity & Same-sex Orientation

Author: Rick Phillips

Publisher: Peter Lang

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13: 9780820474809

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Like many conservative Christian faiths, Mormonism instills a strong sense of loyalty and deep religious feelings in its members. The church also teaches that homosexuality is abnormal and sinful. Thus, gay Mormons must learn to manage conflicting religious and sexual identities. This sociological study of the lives and struggles of gay members of the Mormon church is based on interviews with a large sample of gay Mormons and discussions with Mormon church leaders. The plight of gay Mormons is examined as part of a larger struggle over the place of homosexuality in American Christianity.


Book Synopsis Conservative Christian Identity & Same-sex Orientation by : Rick Phillips

Download or read book Conservative Christian Identity & Same-sex Orientation written by Rick Phillips and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2005 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Like many conservative Christian faiths, Mormonism instills a strong sense of loyalty and deep religious feelings in its members. The church also teaches that homosexuality is abnormal and sinful. Thus, gay Mormons must learn to manage conflicting religious and sexual identities. This sociological study of the lives and struggles of gay members of the Mormon church is based on interviews with a large sample of gay Mormons and discussions with Mormon church leaders. The plight of gay Mormons is examined as part of a larger struggle over the place of homosexuality in American Christianity.

Worthy

Worthy

Author: Chris Davis

Publisher:

Published: 2023-04-21

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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At age thirty-two, Chris Davis had everything she was told that she wanted: a husband, two children, and a townhouse in the suburbs. The plan had been laid out for her and compliance was expected. A devout Mormon with a stellar reputation in her community, Davis spent a lifetime listening to rhetoric from church leaders that queer people were sinners and needed to repent of their wickedness. She had sworn faithfulness and obedience to God and the church but was faced with an impossible equation. How could she earn blessings from God and eternal life in heaven when she knew she was gay? She decided the only way out was a 17-year plan to raise her children and then take her own life. In Worthy: The Memoir of an Ex-Mormon Lesbian, Davis tells her story of growing up in a Mormon household in Maine. Her nostalgic and sometimes humorous childhood memories of family and friends provide life lessons that influence her during the traumatic experiences she has as a woman and as a closeted queer person in the church. It isn't until one of her children comes out that Davis is forced to choose between religion and family. She chooses love. Davis shares her brave journey from the depths of despair to hope and possibility. She shines a light on the tragedy of exclusion in our churches, in families, and in society, which takes such a toll on youth who struggle with their identities. Her inspiring account shows that it takes courage and fortitude to change one's beliefs and live an authentic life, but the rewards are immense.


Book Synopsis Worthy by : Chris Davis

Download or read book Worthy written by Chris Davis and published by . This book was released on 2023-04-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At age thirty-two, Chris Davis had everything she was told that she wanted: a husband, two children, and a townhouse in the suburbs. The plan had been laid out for her and compliance was expected. A devout Mormon with a stellar reputation in her community, Davis spent a lifetime listening to rhetoric from church leaders that queer people were sinners and needed to repent of their wickedness. She had sworn faithfulness and obedience to God and the church but was faced with an impossible equation. How could she earn blessings from God and eternal life in heaven when she knew she was gay? She decided the only way out was a 17-year plan to raise her children and then take her own life. In Worthy: The Memoir of an Ex-Mormon Lesbian, Davis tells her story of growing up in a Mormon household in Maine. Her nostalgic and sometimes humorous childhood memories of family and friends provide life lessons that influence her during the traumatic experiences she has as a woman and as a closeted queer person in the church. It isn't until one of her children comes out that Davis is forced to choose between religion and family. She chooses love. Davis shares her brave journey from the depths of despair to hope and possibility. She shines a light on the tragedy of exclusion in our churches, in families, and in society, which takes such a toll on youth who struggle with their identities. Her inspiring account shows that it takes courage and fortitude to change one's beliefs and live an authentic life, but the rewards are immense.

Confessions of a Mormon Boy

Confessions of a Mormon Boy

Author: Steven Fales

Publisher:

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 156

ISBN-13:

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“What a rare and skillful thing isConfessions of a Mormon Boy,Steven Fales’ engrossing, funny and often quite harrowing tale. A fine writer and actor.”—Chicago Sun-Times A hit at New York’s Fringe Festival, Steven Fales’ true-life story has become a smash across the country. Now playing off-Broadway, it continues to dazzle audiences with its honesty and wit as the author recounts his story of being excommunicated from the Mormon church for being gay, leaving his wife and children, and his subsequent descent into the dangers of sex and drugs.


Book Synopsis Confessions of a Mormon Boy by : Steven Fales

Download or read book Confessions of a Mormon Boy written by Steven Fales and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “What a rare and skillful thing isConfessions of a Mormon Boy,Steven Fales’ engrossing, funny and often quite harrowing tale. A fine writer and actor.”—Chicago Sun-Times A hit at New York’s Fringe Festival, Steven Fales’ true-life story has become a smash across the country. Now playing off-Broadway, it continues to dazzle audiences with its honesty and wit as the author recounts his story of being excommunicated from the Mormon church for being gay, leaving his wife and children, and his subsequent descent into the dangers of sex and drugs.

Tabernacles of Clay

Tabernacles of Clay

Author: Taylor G. Petrey

Publisher: UNC Press Books

Published: 2020-04-17

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 146965623X

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Taylor G. Petrey's trenchant history takes a landmark step forward in documenting and theorizing about Latter-day Saints (LDS) teachings on gender, sexual difference, and marriage. Drawing on deep archival research, Petrey situates LDS doctrines in gender theory and American religious history since World War II. His challenging conclusion is that Mormonism is conflicted between ontologies of gender essentialism and gender fluidity, illustrating a broader tension in the history of sexuality in modernity itself. As Petrey details, LDS leaders have embraced the idea of fixed identities representing a natural and divine order, but their teachings also acknowledge that sexual difference is persistently contingent and unstable. While queer theorists have built an ethics and politics based on celebrating such sexual fluidity, LDS leaders view it as a source of anxiety and a tool for the shaping of a heterosexual social order. Through public preaching and teaching, the deployment of psychological approaches to "cure" homosexuality, and political activism against equal rights for women and same-sex marriage, Mormon leaders hoped to manage sexuality and faith for those who have strayed from heteronormativity.


Book Synopsis Tabernacles of Clay by : Taylor G. Petrey

Download or read book Tabernacles of Clay written by Taylor G. Petrey and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2020-04-17 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Taylor G. Petrey's trenchant history takes a landmark step forward in documenting and theorizing about Latter-day Saints (LDS) teachings on gender, sexual difference, and marriage. Drawing on deep archival research, Petrey situates LDS doctrines in gender theory and American religious history since World War II. His challenging conclusion is that Mormonism is conflicted between ontologies of gender essentialism and gender fluidity, illustrating a broader tension in the history of sexuality in modernity itself. As Petrey details, LDS leaders have embraced the idea of fixed identities representing a natural and divine order, but their teachings also acknowledge that sexual difference is persistently contingent and unstable. While queer theorists have built an ethics and politics based on celebrating such sexual fluidity, LDS leaders view it as a source of anxiety and a tool for the shaping of a heterosexual social order. Through public preaching and teaching, the deployment of psychological approaches to "cure" homosexuality, and political activism against equal rights for women and same-sex marriage, Mormon leaders hoped to manage sexuality and faith for those who have strayed from heteronormativity.

Unrepentant, Self-affirming, Practicing

Unrepentant, Self-affirming, Practicing

Author: Gary David Comstock

Publisher: Burns & Oates

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13:

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Based on twenty-seven recent empirical studies of gay people in organized religion and another ten "religion-related" studies, Unrepentant, Self-Affirming, Practicing provides the most comprehensive examination to date of the place of gay people within religious communities.


Book Synopsis Unrepentant, Self-affirming, Practicing by : Gary David Comstock

Download or read book Unrepentant, Self-affirming, Practicing written by Gary David Comstock and published by Burns & Oates. This book was released on 1996 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on twenty-seven recent empirical studies of gay people in organized religion and another ten "religion-related" studies, Unrepentant, Self-Affirming, Practicing provides the most comprehensive examination to date of the place of gay people within religious communities.

Peculiar People

Peculiar People

Author: Ronald L. Schow

Publisher:

Published: 1991

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781560850465

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Mormons embrace the term "peculiar people" as a badge of honor. It represents pride in being God's people and therefore different from the rest of society. The term is equally applicable to gay Mormons who experience misunderstanding, guilt, and derision, often at the hands of fellow parishioners for whom discrimination is now a distant memory. In Peculiar People, a wealth of resources chronicles the experiences of LDS homosexuals. Those who have chosen celibacy are occasionally admitted into full church fellowship. Others, fearing censure and humiliation, conceal their orientation. Many decide that they "will not go where they are not welcome" and drift away from the community that once nurtured them. The church views same-sex intimacy as sin, though stops short of advising homosexuals to marry heterosexuals. For some time now church clerics, social workers, theologians, and sociologists have been engaged in debate about what place such people should occupy in the church community and what remedies or consolations should be offered them. To this discussion, Ron and Wayne Schow and Marybeth Raynes contribute their wide professional experience and bring a range of perspectives to this volume.


Book Synopsis Peculiar People by : Ronald L. Schow

Download or read book Peculiar People written by Ronald L. Schow and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mormons embrace the term "peculiar people" as a badge of honor. It represents pride in being God's people and therefore different from the rest of society. The term is equally applicable to gay Mormons who experience misunderstanding, guilt, and derision, often at the hands of fellow parishioners for whom discrimination is now a distant memory. In Peculiar People, a wealth of resources chronicles the experiences of LDS homosexuals. Those who have chosen celibacy are occasionally admitted into full church fellowship. Others, fearing censure and humiliation, conceal their orientation. Many decide that they "will not go where they are not welcome" and drift away from the community that once nurtured them. The church views same-sex intimacy as sin, though stops short of advising homosexuals to marry heterosexuals. For some time now church clerics, social workers, theologians, and sociologists have been engaged in debate about what place such people should occupy in the church community and what remedies or consolations should be offered them. To this discussion, Ron and Wayne Schow and Marybeth Raynes contribute their wide professional experience and bring a range of perspectives to this volume.

Born that Way?

Born that Way?

Author: Erin Eldridge

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Born that Way? by : Erin Eldridge

Download or read book Born that Way? written by Erin Eldridge and published by Shadow Mountain. This book was released on 1994 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Saving Alex

Saving Alex

Author: Alex Cooper

Publisher: HarperOne

Published: 2016-03-01

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780062467393

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When Alex Cooper was fifteen years old, life was pretty ordinary in her sleepy suburban town and nice Mormon family. At church and at home, Alex was taught that God had a plan for everyone. But something was gnawing at her that made her feel different. These feelings exploded when she met Yvette, a girl who made Alex feel alive in a new way, and with whom Alex would quickly fall in love. Alex knew she was holding a secret that could shatter her family, her church community, and her life. Yet when this secret couldn’t be hidden any longer, she told her parents that she was gay, and the nightmare began. She was driven from her home in Southern California to Utah, where, against her will, her parents handed her over to fellow Mormons who promised to save Alex from her homosexuality. For eight harrowing months, Alex was held captive in an unlicensed “residential treatment program” modeled on the many “therapeutic” boot camps scattered across Utah. Alex was physically and verbally abused, and many days she was forced to stand facing a wall wearing a heavy backpack full of rocks. Her captors used faith to punish and terrorize her. With the help of a dedicated legal team in Salt Lake City, Alex eventually escaped and made legal history in Utah by winning the right to live under the law’s protection as an openly gay teenager. Alex is not alone; the headlines continue to splash stories about gay conversion therapy and rehabilitation centers that promise to “save” teenagers from their sexuality. Saving Alex is a courageous memoir that tells Alex’s story in the hopes that it will bring awareness and justice to this important issue. A bold, inspiring story of one girl’s fight for freedom, acceptance, and truth.


Book Synopsis Saving Alex by : Alex Cooper

Download or read book Saving Alex written by Alex Cooper and published by HarperOne. This book was released on 2016-03-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Alex Cooper was fifteen years old, life was pretty ordinary in her sleepy suburban town and nice Mormon family. At church and at home, Alex was taught that God had a plan for everyone. But something was gnawing at her that made her feel different. These feelings exploded when she met Yvette, a girl who made Alex feel alive in a new way, and with whom Alex would quickly fall in love. Alex knew she was holding a secret that could shatter her family, her church community, and her life. Yet when this secret couldn’t be hidden any longer, she told her parents that she was gay, and the nightmare began. She was driven from her home in Southern California to Utah, where, against her will, her parents handed her over to fellow Mormons who promised to save Alex from her homosexuality. For eight harrowing months, Alex was held captive in an unlicensed “residential treatment program” modeled on the many “therapeutic” boot camps scattered across Utah. Alex was physically and verbally abused, and many days she was forced to stand facing a wall wearing a heavy backpack full of rocks. Her captors used faith to punish and terrorize her. With the help of a dedicated legal team in Salt Lake City, Alex eventually escaped and made legal history in Utah by winning the right to live under the law’s protection as an openly gay teenager. Alex is not alone; the headlines continue to splash stories about gay conversion therapy and rehabilitation centers that promise to “save” teenagers from their sexuality. Saving Alex is a courageous memoir that tells Alex’s story in the hopes that it will bring awareness and justice to this important issue. A bold, inspiring story of one girl’s fight for freedom, acceptance, and truth.