A “Peculiar People.” The title is worn as a badge of honor by Mormon faithful, proud of their chosen status as the people of God and reverent to the tradition of persecution for being different. Such a title, with its ironic reference to both pride and persecution, is especially significant to Mormons who are gay or lesbian. These men and women suffer misunderstanding, guilt, and derision, often at the hands of fellow Mormons for whom discrimination is now a distant memory.
In Peculiar People: Mormons and Same-Sex Orientation, the editors have assembled a wealth of resources chronicling the successes and failures of contemporary lesbian and gay Mormons. Latter-day Saint homosexuals who choose celibacy are usually admitted into full church fellowship. Others, fearing censure and humiliation, conceal their orientation. But many, perhaps a majority, “will not go where they are not welcome” and drift away from the community that once nurtured them.
In addition to personal accounts, the editors provide national survey information, compare the official Mormon response to that of other churches, note the development of theological and scientific understanding of homosexuality, and indicate current scientific trends. They include a variety of contemporary findings by biologists, therapists, and religious scholars.
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