Surveys family members of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals regarding the role of religion in acceptance of their family member and how they reconciled any conflicts between religious beliefs and family member's sexual orientation. The most commonly identified theme was believing that the unconditional love associated with God extended…

Provides an introductory background to the religious and spiritual experiences of gay men and lesbians. Offers an explication of the challenges facing gay persons, outlines a model to be used in counseling sessions, and gives a list of resources for further information. Argues that counselors frequently misunderstand the religious life of this…

Describes the struggle that gays and lesbians face as they incorporate their sexual orientation and identity within the context of an existing religious or spiritual identity. Narrative directions are suggested for marriage and family therapists and their work with gays and lesbians who are confronted with these issues. (BF)

Managing a marginal identity different from the dominant culture is a difficult process. For a woman who is a lesbian and also Jewish, this means feeling marginal in each of the communities she considers to be her primary support systems. Within the Jewish community, lesbianism is not acceptable, and within the lesbian community, there is often…

A study of gay men and their experiences of "coming out" to their parents found that both the mother's and father's reported level of education and religious orthodoxy significantly predicted the relationship change between the mother or the father and the self-disclosing son. This study sought to broaden the available database by sampling both…

Initial efforts to study the prevalence of homophobia targeted specific groups such as college students, health care workers, social workers, and others. Some of the specific correlates of homophobia, including gender, previous contact with gay people, the quality of that contact, religious affiliation, and the degree of religious practice are…

Examines specific sociocultural factors influencing homosexual identity expression for gay and lesbian adolescents. Using the Negotiated Identity Model on a sample of 172 self-identified homosexual adolescents reveals that variables for gay males included political ideology, socioeconomic status, heterosexual friends, and gender nonconformity.…

North Americans' fear and preoccupation with safety and security as a result of the September 11 attacks is similar to that felt by gays and lesbians in daily life. Queer persons are not part of the Christian family, according to Jerry Falwell and other rightist Christian fundamentalists, including those involved in transformative ministry and…