Internalizing homophobic messages in religious contexts: Young men who have sex with men's resiliency in resolving conflicts between sexual and religious identities

There is a growing body of research focused on the relationship between religiosity and adolescent health. However, research investigating the role of religion in the lives of young men who sex with men (YMSM) is limited. Given the unique developmental stage of young adults and the fact that most religions have some restrictions on homosexuality, it is important to understand YMSM's experiences and how they integrate their sexual and religious/spiritual identities. This mixed methods study explores the role of religion/spirituality in the lives of an ethnically diverse cohort of 526 YMSM. Qualitative analyses indicate that respondents received many negative messages regarding homosexuality in religious contexts. Respondents described painful thoughts or self-destructive behaviors that they viewed as being related to internalizing these negative messages (e.g. feeling depressed, contemplating suicide, fasting, or overeating). Irregardless of their earlier experiences, religion and/or spirituality remained important and many described processes that included exploring other religions, critically evaluating religious doctrines and adopting a personal sense of spirituality. Quantitative analyses were conducted to further explore the implications associated with changes in religion. Results indicate that individuals whose affiliation stayed the same have greater tendencies to engage in proactive coping, feel greater levels of support from God, and are less likely to be distressed/depressed than those who changed religious affiliations. Findings are framed to discuss how to help YMSM retain the supportive and nurturing aspects of religion/spirituality in order to integrate their sexual and religious identities for a functional support system.