Rites Of Passage

14 Pages 3412 Words

g with family and friends. The third rite Mohler suggests is that of “meaning-making” (55) in the lives of homosexuals, which entails friendships, dating, and intimate relationships. Fourth is the rite of commitment rituals, similar to marriage rituals in the life of many heterosexuals. Mohler suggests that homosexuals should participate in the rituals of engagement, commitment ceremonies, a honeymoon, and anniversary celebration. She believes that the “commitment rites of passage are awesome rewards for the necessary identity sculpting, self-discovery, communication efforts, and compromise” (76). Mohler provides a set of self-examination questions to accompany each rite and ritual that will help the homosexual to lead a more rewarding life through structured introspection during many different life transitions.
The rites of passage of other cultures often strike Americans as frightening, cruel, or just plain odd. Certainly they are different than anything most residents of the United States have ever experienced or even been ex...