Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults’ Experiences with Supportive Religious Groups

This qualitative research study was designed to explore lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young adults’ views about how being a member of supportive and affirming religious places of worship and social groups influenced their self-acceptance, as well as their ability to integrate their religious and sexual minority identities. In this study, six in-person interviews were completed with participants who (a) were 18-24 years old; (b) identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual; (c) were members of supportive Jewish and Christian religious groups; and (d) identified as cisgender. The data from the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis to tell cohesive stories about the perceptions of LGB young adults on the influence of supportive religious group membership. I found that all six participants reported that finding their religious supportive groups had a significant positive impact on their ability to integrate their religious and sexual identities. All six participants also reported that being a member of the affirming religious group allowed them to keep their identity, overall, as a unified whole. The results of my study have positive implications for clinicians working with the LGB population, parents of LGB people, friends of LGB people, LGB advocacy work within the religious community, and for religious groups and places of worship who want to increase membership of minority individuals