Predictors of Religious and Spiritual Identities in a Nationwide Sample of Black LGBTQ Adults in the United States

Abstract

LGBTQ people have a complex history with religion and spirituality in the United States. This dynamic is likely to be complicated for black LGBTQ people given the intersection of their LGBTQ identity with their racial identity, both of which are marginalized in U.S. society. There is, however, a paucity of quantitative research that examines significant predictors of religious and spiritual identities among black LGBTQ adults. To address this gap in the literature, we use a 2020 nationwide survey of black LGBTQ adults to examine the significance of gender, religious upbringing, and attendance at religious services on the likelihood that black LGBTQ people identify as religious and/or spiritual. The results of our exploratory study indicate that, compared to black LGBTQ men, black LGBTQ women are less likely to identify as religious, but more likely to identify as spiritual. Additionally, black LGBTQ adults who grew up in a religious family are more likely to identify as religious, and those who attend religious services are more likely to identify as religious and/or spiritual.