Religion and spirituality among bisexual Black men in the USA

Abstract

Traditionally, religion has been a major source of institutional support and well-being for Black people in the USA. However, when juxtaposed against sexuality, religion's positive effect upon the lives of non-heterosexual individuals is questionable. Research suggests that non-heterosexuals often abandon structured religion for spirituality due to the homonegativity perpetuated through religious institutions. Although studies have examined religion and spirituality among gays and lesbians, few have examined their roles in the lives of bisexuals. In this study, we analyzed qualitative interviews from 28 bisexual Black men who resided in New York City. In addition to church attendance, participants expressed belonging to religious communities through activities such as music ministry. Despite rejection because of their bisexuality, some participants saw other religious individuals as being accepting of them. Others discussed the church as a place where non-heterosexuals interacted, often for meeting sexual partners. Participants evoked beliefs in God in coping with adverse life experiences; some linked faith to family and sexual responsibilities. Drawing upon relevant literature, we discuss the implications of religion and spirituality for the quality of life of bisexual Black men in the USA.

Effects of Age on Spiritual Well-being and Homonegativity: Religious Identity and Practices Among LGB Persons in Portugal

“…This is congruent with the documented positive relationship between spirituality and better Age, Spiritual Well-Being and Homonegativity 19 psychological health among LGB persons, such as decreased depression and internalized homophobia (Tan, 2005). One interpretation of these results would be that the search for meaning and purpose could constitute a coping strategy, in response to social stigma and discrimination (as identified in other studies, such as Jeffries et al, 2008).…”

“…Contrary to common belief, research shows that LGB persons are not devoid of religiosity and spirituality (Tan, 2005;García, Gray-Stanley & Ramirez-Valles, 2007;Ridge, Williams, Anderson & Elford, 2007;Jeffries, Dodge & Sandfort, 2008;Cutts & Parks, 2009;Halkitis et al, 2009). Nonetheless, there are specific stressors that LGB persons face in their religious communities (Jeffries et al, 2008) that can, at times, potentially undermine their well-being (Coyle & Rafalin, 2000;Gage Davidson, 2000;Ridge et al, 2007).…”

“…Nonetheless, there are specific stressors that LGB persons face in their religious communities (Jeffries et al, 2008) that can, at times, potentially undermine their well-being (Coyle & Rafalin, 2000;Gage Davidson, 2000;Ridge et al, 2007). What can be specific for LGB persons is the experience of a conflict between their sexual minority identity and their religious or spiritual identity (García et al, 2007).…”

“…Tan (2005) found that existential well-being (or sense of life purpose and satisfaction) is negatively related to depression among LGB individuals, and is a significant predictor of higher self-esteem, lower internalized homonegativity and feeling less alienated. Spirituality may be used by LGB people to cope with sexuality discomfort, life adversity and even with the condemnation from some religions (Jeffries et al, 2008).…”

The Experience of Relationship Dissolution among British South Asian Gay Men: Identity Threat and Protection

“…Ward (2005) describes Black churches as "a significant source of the homophobia that pervades black communities" (p. 493), and argues that this theologically-based homophobia can adversely impact self-esteem, social relations and health among LGBT African Americans. Given that religion constitutes a generally important aspect in the lives of many African Americans (Battle & Defreece, 2014;Walker & Langmire, 2013), it has been shown that LGBT African Americans seek to construct coherence between their religious and sexual identities by inter alia challenging the moral authority of the Black Church (Pitt, 2010), deriving a sense of belonging in particular domains of the church such as music ministry (Jeffries et al, 2008) and immersing themselves in more gay friendly sections of the Black Church (Chaney & Patrick, 2010). Moreover, a key theme in research into the social relationships of LGBT African Americans has been that of racism, which is said to impede social capital and integration in the wider LGBT community.…”