Gay Religion

Foreword
William McKinney (Pacific School Of Religion) And Mary A. Tolbert (GTU)
Introduction
Scott Thumma And Edward Gray
Part I: Denominational Heritage Expressions

Part I Introduction

Gay Gods Of The City: The Emergence Of The Gay And Lesbian Ethnic Parish
Leonard Norman Primiano
Reconciling Congregations Bridging Gay And Straight Communities
Wendy Cadge
No Longer An Oxymoron: Integrating Gay And Lesbian Seventh-day Adventist Identities
Rene Drumm
Negotiating A Religious Identity: The Case Of The Gay Evangelical
Scott Thumma
Why Join A Gay Synagogue?
Moshe Shokeid
Latter-Day Saint Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgendered Spirituality
Richley Crapo
Sexuality And Gender In Santeria: LGBT Identities At The Crossroads Of Santeria Religious Practices And Beliefs
Salvador Vidal-Ortiz
Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Buddhist Practitioners
Wendy Cadge
Shades Of Grey Or Back To Nature? The Enduring Qualities Of Ex-Gay Ministries
Christy Ponticelli
Part II: Subaltern / Sectarian Expressions

Pluralism And Diversity: Music As Discourse And Information In A Gay And Lesbian Congregation
Bernard Lukenbill
Part Introduction

“St Gerard Teaches Him That Love Cancels That Out:” Devotion To St. Gerard Maiella Among Italian American Catholic Gay Men In Newark, New Jersey
Peter Savastano
A Religion Of One’s Own: Gender And LGBT Religiosities
Melissa Wilcox
Liberation In Truth: African American Lesbians Reflect On Religion, Spirituality, And Their Church
Aryana Bates
Utopian Imaginaries And Faerie Practice:Mapping Routes Of Relational Agency
Jay Hasbrouck
Queering The Dragonfest: Changing Sexualities In A Post- Patriarchal Religion
Mary Jo Neitz
Part III: Popular Expressions

Part III Introduction

The Gospel Hour: Liminality, Identity, & Religion In A Gay Bar
Edward R. Gray And Scott Thumma
Intermediaries: Spirit And Transcendence In A Sample Of “Third Gendered” North Americans
Ingrid Sell
Rite To Party: Circuit Parties And Religious Experience
Paul Gorrell
Gay Men’s Spiritual Experience In The Leather Community
Thomas Peterson
The Harvey Milk Show: Violence, Desire, And Gay Popular Culture
Edward R. Gray
Conclusion: Gay Religion As A Cultural Production
R. Marie Griffith
The Spirit Within: Gay Male Culture As A Spiritual Venue
Donald Boisvert
Appendix: LGBT Religious Support And Advocacy Group Information

Index

Additional Info
Conflicts over homosexuality and gay rights threaten to break apart denominations, if not North American society. These heated theological and political debates have, as well, obscured the fact that many gays and lesbians are religiously active individuals. Gay Religion is the first book to give a straightforward presentation of the spiritual lives, practices and expressions of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender. Drawing from a wide range of religious traditions, new and established scholars explore the range of gay religious expression in denominations, sects, and even outside recognized religious institutions. The essays ask what these religious innovations mean to the continually evolving religious environment of North America. With its helpful section introductions and an appendix providing profiles of organizations involved, Gay Religion is a unique and compelling resource for anyone interested in homosexuality and American religion.