The effect of religion on coming out and the sexual identity formation of 18-30 year olds who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer : a project based upon an independent investigation

Abstract

iv, 78 p. Thesis (M.S.W.)-Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2010. Includes bibliographical references (p. 52-58)

Religion, particularly within Judeo-Christian traditions, is an often cited rationale for rejection of homosexuality and persons who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer. Given the socio-cultural influence of religion, catalyzed through the media, legislation, churches, and families, such frequent defamation could be believed to elicit a moral dilemma for an individual contemplating his/her own sexual identity. This effect might be detectable through the process and age of coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer. This study sought to investigate the direct impact of a religious upbringing on sexual identity formation and was executed through quantitative analysis with a cross-sectional design utilizing a snowball sample, recruited through social networking websites. The sample was comprised of 60 participants, with 49 completed anonymous, online surveys that included 12 demographic questions, the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Scale (LGBIS) and the Brief Multi-Measure of Religion and Spirituality (BMMRS). The LGBIS measure was modified to include queer identity. While religion was found to have an effect on the coming out process, significant findings either opposed the hypothesis or were found to be, in general, inconclusive. Future research should focus on recruiting a larger and more diverse sample and perhaps utilize different research measures.