Navigating Identities: exploring the dynamics behind the religious and sexual identities amongst gay Latino men
Authors
Ximenes Batinga, Thais Mychelle
Issue Date
2024-03
Degree
Higher Diploma in Psychology
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
Abstract
Throughout the last century, traditional religious values have been challenged and, matters of how these values have been used to hide prejudiced attitudes are being questioned. This study sought to extend previous findings by interviewing 5 gay Latino men and exploring the relationship between their religious and sexual identities. From the semi-structured interviews and qualitative thematic analysis of the data, 4 main themes emerged: Conflict of identities, Resolution of conflict, Compassion to self and others and Factors behind a favorable outlook on religion. The findings indicate that religion can negatively impact the journey of self-discovery of LGBTQ-identifying people, but that various strategies can help resolve this internal conflict. Participants’ responses also suggested that a more flexible religious upbringing can foster a more positive outlook on religion later in life. These findings contain important social implications as well as relevant suggestions for clinicians working with spiritual and LGBTQ-identifying individuals.