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Growing Up Gay In The South: A Comparative Analysis

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In Growing up Gay in the South: Race, Gender, and Journeys of the Spirit, Sears (1991) provides compelling narratives of high school life for lesbian and gay youth in South Carolina, the heart of the Protestant evangelical South, and the difficulties of the lesbian and youth gaining acceptance in the conservative state. The majority of South Carolinians is conservative Christians (Sears, 1991). Thereby, the conservative Christians in SC are “fervent believers in rebirth and redemption, the blood of Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Ghost, salvation and eternal damnation” (1991, p. 25). Subsequently, their interpretation of the Scriptures is literal and shapes everyday life as well as legislation in SC (1991). Hence, these strong religious views of the South make it difficult for homosexuals to express themselves openly, because homosexuality is an abomination before God (1991). Additionally, in the African-American community, the church is the foundation of the community, and it is believed that religion has sustained the community through slavery (1991). Thus, religion has an even deeper connection within the African-American community (1991). Furthermore, …show more content…
It is also important for the heterosexual members of the GSAs to acknowledge their privilege to be effective allies for the LGBTQ community (Evans & Washington, 2013). Subsequently, the participation of heterosexuals within GSAs heightens awareness of LGBTQ issues (Klotz, 2014). Moreover, in GSAs, students challenge the societal norm of heterosexism, which alienates the LGBTQ community, and GSAs educate others on the negative effects of homophobia and transphobia suffered by the LGBTQ community (Kassen & LaPointe,

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