title: Footprints in the Sand: Personal, Psychological, and Relational Profiles of Religious, Spiritual, and Atheist LGB Individuals.
abstract: The present study offers a comparison of the demographic features and lived experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals with religious, spiritual, or atheist (R/S/A) belief systems. In this sample of 212 participants, the relationship of participants' R/S/A beliefs to personal variables (e.g., age, gender, race), mental health variables (e.g., life satisfaction, psychological distress, internalized heterosexism, self-esteem), and relational variables (e.g., outness, connection to LGBTQ communities) were assessed. Correlational analyses indicated that level of R/S/A belief was unrelated to self-esteem, life satisfaction, or psychological distress; however, greater religious belief was correlated positively and significantly with internalized heterosexism and outness as LGB. To test the interactions of R/S/A beliefs and categorical variables of interest (e.g., race), log-linear analyses with follow-up chi-square tests were conducted. Findings suggested more similarities than differences for LGB people across R/S/A systems of belief. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology , Teachers College, Columbia University , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Aasha B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.affiliation: a Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology , Teachers College, Columbia University , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Melanie E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Brewster
authors.affiliation: b University of Florida , Gainesville , Florida , USA.
authors.forename: Brandon L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Velez
authors.affiliation: a Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology , Teachers College, Columbia University , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Austin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eklund
authors.affiliation: a Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology , Teachers College, Columbia University , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Brian T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Keum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006716:Homosexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D012067:Religion; D012649:Self Concept; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities / Q000523:psychology*; D013140:Spiritualism
keywords: Atheism; LGB; psychological distress; religiosity; sexual orientation; spirituality; wellbeing