Abstract Summary/Description
This study investigates the relationship between sexual minority discriminatory sentiment and Christian rhetoric, specifically biblical sermons, speeches, discourse, words declaring LGBTQ+ identities are immoral and condemned by God. Answering Christian rhetoric's absorption/impact in public spaces, drawing from the rhetorical human engagement and education/pedagogical theories of scholars Kenneth Burke, Lisa Blankenship, and Krista Ratcliffe, this study argues rhetorical identification, rhetorical empathy, and rhetorical listening, respectively, function to help mitigate discriminatory sentiment. Building on the Garrett-Walker and Torres study, "Negative Religious Rhetoric in the Lives of Black Cisgender Queer Emerging Adult Men: A Qualitative Analysis," this research employs Momentive survey technology and qualitative interviews to document/measure the impact of human engagement and pedagogical rhetorical theories on discriminatory sentiment mitigation. Research results suggest (1) a strong positive correlative relationship between Christian rhetoric and discriminatory sentiment and (2) that rhetorical theories of human engagement and education help mitigate discriminatory sentiment, effectively transcending hostility, division, and differences. The conclusion highlights the need for further studies focused on mitigating discriminatory sentiment and advocating for socio-political acceptance and justice for sexual minorities.
