A survey of gay/lesbian Catholics concerning attitudes toward sexual orientation and religious beliefs.
The negative assessment of lesbian/gay relationships in Catholic circles is most often based on scanty information gathered from folklore, the commercial media, and a narrow, literal reading of Biblical texts. Assumptions are made about the personal adjustment of individual gay/lesbian persons and the quality of their relationships without recourse to actual lived experience. This survey of 263 gay/lesbian Catholics and 20 controls was designed to receive direct feedback from lesbian/gay persons concerning their religious attitudes, personal adjustment, and relational quality. The results contradict many preconceptions, and a remarkable similarity is demonstrated between the gay/lesbian responses and those of the control group.
O'Brien
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St. Michael's College, Toronto.
D001290:Attitude; D002410:Catholicism; D004989:Ethics; D005260:Female; D006716:Homosexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires