United Methodist Church polity bars "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" from ordination and prohibits same-sex wedding celebrations in their churches or by their clergy. Recently, the consequences for disobeying church polity have increased in severity and the denomination is expected to split. This paper profiles three churches who…

In this chapter the authors examine the role of spirituality in the lives of Black gay men.

In other work I have argued that decisions about what to teach directively and what non-directively should be governed by an epistemic criterion. Trevor Cooling has recently advanced some objections to my defence and application of the epistemic criterion and proposed an alternative to it. Here I reply to his objections and comment on his proposed…

In this article the author uses the term "conservative dancers" to describe dancers who live in communities or families that are socially, culturally, or religiously conservative with ideological consistency, adhering to traditional values that they deem to be moral (e.g., modest dress, clear gender roles and separation, purity, family…

Conversion therapy comes in many forms, ranging from informal chats with counselors to aggressive physical coercion, but all are based on the belief that a gay male or a lesbian can be changed "back" to heterosexual behavior. It is not just alarmed parents who turn to this therapy. Many LGBT individuals seek out such treatment in an effort to…

A "native" Christian ethnographer finds religious education at this church-sponsored school to pursue two distinct, and occasionally conflicting, curricula: "love" and "purity." The curriculum of love draws on what Turner called liminality and communitas in an effort to promote spiritual "encounters with…

This historical work chronicles the emergence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer (LGBTQ) student visibility at the University of Florida from 1970 to 1982. It focuses on the establishment of an LGBTQ student group and student reactions to queer visibility. This work relies heavily on the student newspaper for the student…

Counselors and lesbian and gay clients experience parallel values conflicts between religious beliefs/spirituality and sexual orientation. This article uses critical thinking to assist counselors to integrate religious/spiritual beliefs with professional ethical codes. Clients are assisted to integrate religious/spiritual beliefs with sexual…

In this article, the author dissects Princeton University's decision to deny the request made early in 2010 by the traditional values-oriented Anscombe Society to support a chastity and abstinence center on campus. As the Anscombe Society members have pointed out, Princeton University clearly is "not" neutral regarding the values of the sexual…

Escalating conflicts over issues involving sexual orientation in public schools often pit conservative Christians against proponents of gay rights--with school leaders caught in the crossfire. Some beleaguered school administrators attempt to put a lid on the controversy by censoring student expression on one side or the other. But that tactic…

The recent rise in the number of faith-based schools in Britain creates some interesting issues. On the one hand it is clear that the government, and certainly former Prime Minister Tony Blair, perceives such schools as contributing not only to choice and diversity but also to the raising of educational standards. This appears to be because of an…

Families play a critical role in child and adolescent development and well-being, and connections to family are a protective factor against major health risk behaviors. However, few research studies have looked at the family context for LGBT youth, and in fact, when LGBT youth do seek services they are not routinely asked about their families and…

Three hundred twenty-six undergraduates who participated in a diversity-based course or voluntary intergroup dialogues completed a written questionnaire about their attitudes toward and comfort with people who are African American, Asian American, First Nation, Latina/o, white, and lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB). Secondary analysis of…

This paper addresses how to teach tolerance of homosexual persons in a manner that is not threatening to those with religious scruples about homosexuals. It contains an example of a presentation for college students that is designed to teach them to respect their peers and future coworkers regardless of their sexual orientation. The presentation…

In their introductory article, Morrow and Beckstead (2004 [this issue]) discuss the decades-long controversy surrounding therapeutic attempts to change homosexual to heterosexual orientation ("conversion" or "reparative" therapy). Despite the efforts to resolve this controversy, it shows no signs of abating. The articles in this issue, especially…