Daniel Peterson wrote:There undoubtedly was gossiping. It would have been odd if there had not been.
However, I can't recall ever initiating any conversation about Quinn's sexual orientation, and, to the best of my memory, don't believe that the subject came up, in my presence, more than half a dozen times over the course of probably more than half a dozen years.
Quinn's homosexuality was indeed long "an open secret." I first heard tell of it in early 1991, and understand that it was the reason Mike and his wife divorced around 1987, and that this reason was explained to Blake and Craig Ostler, and undoubtedly others, around the time of the divorce. (for what it's worth, Mike didn't leave his wife to pursue a homosexual lifestyle. As I understand it, she suggested that, as a gay man, he should leave their heterosexual relationship and pursue his deeper inclinations.)
Also, for whatever it's worth, although I knew of Michael Quinn's homosexuality while at BYU, and had conversations with Professor Peterson at that time about various controversial scholars and their motivations, I don't recall him bringing up Mike Quinn's homosexuality, and don't believe he did bring it up. (I don't believe we discussed it at all.) Furthermore, I've never had the impression that Prof. Peterson has anything against Mike Quinn. He disagreed openly, and politely, with Quinn over the definition of "magic"; but hasn't, in my admittedly faulty memory, made Quinn a particular 'target' of his criticism or wit. (Perhaps someone is confusing him with Bill Hamblin!)
Don