Infiltrative Rhetoric for LGB Inclusion: The LDS Version of the “Supportive Families, Healthy Children” Pamphlet

Abstract

Infiltrative Rhetoric is a tactic for creating discursive space to address controversial topics within highly restricted community conversations. Messages that exhibit a cluster of three criteria are considered “infiltrative:” 1) creating the persona of an insider, 2) redefining institutional rhetoric to serve alternate goals, and 3) reframing the debate to bypass philosophical barriers. Infiltrative rhetoric is called for when communicating with a closed group whose ideological boundaries limit the full participation of some of its members. The changes made to the Family Acceptance Project’s “Supportive Families, Healthy Children” pamphlet are illustrative of infiltrative rhetoric that argues for greater inclusion of LGB children and adolescents into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Infiltrative rhetoric is an important resource, along with confrontational and transcendent rhetorics, to argue for greater inclusion of marginalized members in closed communities.

Keywords:

• Christianity
• Framing
• Identity
• Infiltrative Rhetoric
• LDS Church
• LGB Inclusion
• Persona
• Redefinition