"The priest obviously doesn't know that I'm gay": the religious and spiritual journeys of Latino gay men.
In the United States, most adults state that religion plays an important role in their lives and claim a religious affiliation. For gay, bisexual, and transgender persons (GBT), the story is unique because their sexual and gender identity is not accepted by most religions. The purpose of this article is to analyze the role of religiosity in the life course of Latino GBTs raised as Catholics. Data come from 66 life history interviews with Latino GBTs living in Chicago and San Francisco, who grew up as Catholics. We found a religious trajectory that mirrored participants' developmental stages. During childhood, religion was inculcated by the family, culture, and schools. In adolescence, many experienced a conflict between their religion and their GBT identity, and in adulthood, they reached a resolution. Most participants abandoned Catholicism to join other religions or spiritual groups that they perceived to be welcoming. We found participants engaging in a remedial ideological work to reconcile their religious values and their identity.
García
Dalia I
DI
Community Health Sciences at the University of Illinois-Chicago School of Public Health, Chicago, IL 60612-4394, USA.
Gray-Stanley
Jennifer
J
Ramirez-Valles
Jesus
J
D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D000328:Adult; D002410:Catholicism; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012071:Religion and Sex; D029181:Spirituality; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult