Beyond Heteronormativity: The Queer Struggle for Mormon Identity in the 1980s and 90s

This paper explores the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ (RCJC) a queer Mormon sect that emerged in response to the exclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals by the larger Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Throughout the 1980s and 90s, queer Mormons wrestled with the question of what it meant to be Mormon, with some members of Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons feeling the organization was either too Mormon or not Mormon enough. In response, a group of Affirmation members in Los Angeles formed RCJC, seeking to create a space that allowed them to continue practicing Mormonism. Drawing on archival research, this paper examines how RCJC members navigated their religious and sexual identities, utilizing queer theory and queer-of-color critique to analyze their struggles and contributions to redefining Mormonism. The study sheds light on how these queer Mormons challenged traditional understandings of faith, sexuality, and community within the larger Mormon tradition.