John Wayne Gacy Research Paper

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mother discovered this underwear and punished him” (2001, p. 259). Confused about his sexuality, John decided to keep his thoughts a secret from those who would be able to help him the most, his family. Sparks argued that, “It is well documented that many male sexual deviants were themselves sexually abused as children and some evidence exists that this was true also for John Wayne” (2001, p. 259). Therefore, by Gacy experiencing this sexual abuse as a child, it most definitely could have been a major indicator for his murderous behavior in the future. Around the time John’s sexual desires began to develop, he had also suffered a series of medical issues as child, which would also affect his life into adulthood. Linedecker stated, “He hit …show more content…

Noted by Sullivan and Maiken, they said, “At the store in Springfield to which Gacy was sent to work as a salesman, he met his first wife, whom he married after a nine-month courtship” (2000, p. 238). Gacy gained more than just a bride however in Springfield. Linedecker declared that for Gacy, “It was in Springfield that he discovered the Junior Chamber of Commerce, and joined the local group of energetic young business and professional men working to make their community a better place to live in by carrying out a never ending series of activities” (1980, p. 21). The Jaycees offered John the approval and recognition he was always looking for from his father. As noted by Linedecker, “By dedicating himself to club activities, he found that he could wing recognition and acclaim as one of the up-and-coming bright young men in the state capital and manufacturing center of ninety-six thousand” (1980, p. 21). For Gacy, there was no greater honor that came to him than serving as a member of the Jaycees. To the Jaycees, John represented the qualities they valued in an individual. For example, according to Linedecker, he stated, “In 1965, only a year after arriving in Springfield, he was elected first vice-president and that chapter’s outstanding man of the year. Jim Selinger, chapter president in 1965, considered Gacy to be a devoted Roman Catholic who took his marriage vows seriously…” (1980, p. 22). However, contrary to their belief, shortly after his his wife Marilyn Meyers first pregnancy, Gacy would have his first homosexual encounter. Sullivan and Maiken asserted that, “He said he got drunk with a friend, who performed fellatio on him. Gacy never had any alms about sex with his father, but had the father known his son was homosexual, Marion Gacy later said, he

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