Black Church, Gay Church: Identity Prioritization and Church Preference Among Black Sexual Minorities.
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| Title: | Black Church, Gay Church: Identity Prioritization and Church Preference Among Black Sexual Minorities. |
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| Authors: | Woods, Mo (AUTHOR), Young, Luther (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). Jun2026, Vol. 65 Issue 2, p323-333. 11p. |
| Subjects: | Sexual minorities, Race identity, LGBTQ+ people, African American churches, Religious identity, Church attendance, Religious communities, Identity (Psychology) |
| Abstract: | Sexual orientation and gender identity remain hotly debated topics in US Christianity. A growing body of research explores the relationship between LGBTQ people and the Church. However, prior studies have not adequately examined how minoritized identities inform where people prefer to worship. This article draws on in‐depth interviews to examine how Black LGBTQ individuals discuss their congregational preferences and how their social identities shape those preferences. Findings reveal that Black sexual minorities view their racial identity as most central and tend to prioritize their racial and religious identities when choosing a congregation. The uniqueness of Black Christian worship spaces, antipathy for affirming churches that profusely center sexuality, and viewing affirming churches as less legitimate prompt Black LGBTQ people to favor Black churches over affirming ones. The results foreground the role of identity in religious participation and call for additional critical scholarship on the complex relationship between race and religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Sexual orientation and gender identity remain hotly debated topics in US Christianity. A growing body of research explores the relationship between LGBTQ people and the Church. However, prior studies have not adequately examined how minoritized identities inform where people prefer to worship. This article draws on in‐depth interviews to examine how Black LGBTQ individuals discuss their congregational preferences and how their social identities shape those preferences. Findings reveal that Black sexual minorities view their racial identity as most central and tend to prioritize their racial and religious identities when choosing a congregation. The uniqueness of Black Christian worship spaces, antipathy for affirming churches that profusely center sexuality, and viewing affirming churches as less legitimate prompt Black LGBTQ people to favor Black churches over affirming ones. The results foreground the role of identity in religious participation and call for additional critical scholarship on the complex relationship between race and religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00218294 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/jssr.70032 |
