title: "It's a horrible sin. If they find out, I will not be able to stay": Orthodox Jewish gay men's experiences living in secrecy.
abstract: This qualitative study examined the intersection of sexual orientation and religion in the Jewish Orthodox community by exploring 22 Orthodox Jewish gay men's experiences living in secrecy. Analysis of in-depth interviews conducted with these men revealed four primary themes: emotional turmoil, ways of coping, impact on family relationships, and importance of the context. Findings from this study describe the daily struggles these men experienced keeping their homosexuality a secret. The findings suggest that in order to design effective interventions with this population, it is crucial to consider the larger community and religious context.
authors.affiliation: a School of Social Work, Bar-Ilan University , Ramat Gan , Israel.
authors.forename: Haya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itzhaky
authors.forename: Karni
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kissil
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D007585:Jews / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009511:New England; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012072:Religious Philosophies / Q000523:psychology; D012922:Social Change; D012933:Social Identification; D012945:Social Values / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: closeted gay; gay men; homosexuality; intersecting identities; secrecy; ultra-Orthodox Jews