| Description |
This piece serves as an investigation and critique into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and their views of same-sex marriage, as well as the treatment of those experiencing same-sex attraction within the church. This will be done in part by using official church doctrine that has been published throughout the years, and statements made by church officials themselves. As a point of reference for this critique, I'll be comparing these official standpoints with the sociological concept of labeling theory. In order to successfully do this, a thorough explanation of the theory is provided as the framework to draw comparisons and conclusions. The goal of my research was to uncover and explore the consequences of labels given to the gay community by the LDS church. Furthermore, the research delves into how these labels shape the lives of those that identify as homosexual and have had involvement within the church during their lifetime. This is investigated through personal interviews and observation, and serves to give a more concrete view of labeling theory in action. This project does not aim to criticize the religion as a whole, nor does it try to make blanket assumption of its members and their ideologies. Instead, this is a look into how a major aspect in many individuals lives (religion) has detrimental impacts on how they view themselves. And in turn, how it can have effects on these individuals for the rest of their lives. |
