Religion and LGBTQ sexualities

Abstract

ual and transgender people are not mentioned. Given Mormon theologies around Heavenly Mother, even those in this book, are heavily invested in heterosexual marriage and reproduction, the question is whether Mormonism can offer theologies of the female deity for more than one type of idealized woman. For example, could we imagine Her as single, transgender, gay, bisexual, celibate, polyamorous or childless, and what would these images mean for Mormonism and Mormon women? As Graham-Russell emphasizes, “‘Woman’” is not a universal experience” (p. 270). If the female deity has a “woman’s body”, what does/can it look like? Set apart by its inclusion of a range of different styles and gender,Mormon Feminism proves an excellent resource for those interested in the dialog between faith and feminism. If one were to summarize this book in a word, it would be “recovery”; first, in that many contributors seek to reclaim the stories of past Mormon women, and second, in that there is in these pages the desire of healing selves and others. Although the lack of LGBT-engaged theologies is noticeable, Mormonism teaches us that perfection and knowledge are ever ongoing; thus, my sincere hope is that Mormon Feminism, with its appeal to a wider audience than purely academic works, can be one stepping stone to many more.