A Qualitative Investigation Into Faith and LGBTQ Identities in a Nonclinical Sample of Readers of the Dear Abby Column: The Dear Abby Project

Alhasan Ghazzawi; Flávio Casoy; Naomi Libby; Chris McIntosh; Mary Barber; Stewart Adelson; Joanne Ahola; Kenneth Ashley; Alexis M Chavez; Laura Erickson-Schroth; Matthew Fadus; David Goldenberg; Kenneth Hung; Lorraine Lothwell; Marlin Mattson; Scot G McAfee; Dustin Z Nowaskie; Alan Schwartz; David Andrew Tompkins; Eric R Yarbrough; Jack Drescher

doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000001415

A Qualitative Investigation Into Faith and LGBTQ Identities in a Nonclinical Sample of Readers of the Dear Abby Column: The Dear Abby Project

J Nerv Ment Dis. 2021 Dec 1;209(12):855-858. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001415.

Affiliation

¹ Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBTQ+ Committee, Dallas, Texas.

PMID: 34846354
DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001415

Abstract

To better understand the relationship between faith and LGBTQ+ identity, we conducted a qualitative analysis of 86 respondents to a general question posed through the Dear Abby column. Responses were anonymized and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Analysis revealed six themes, reflecting a diversity of lived experience from community rejection to acceptance, and self-rejection to feelings of acceptance by God. Despite frequent media portrayals of conflict between faith and LGBTQ+ identity, the reality is more complex, and faith and LGBTQ+ identity development can be complementary.

MeSH terms

Adult
Female
Grounded Theory
Humans
Male
Newspapers as Topic
Qualitative Research
Religion and Psychology*
Self Concept*
Sexual and Gender Minorities*
Social Identification*
Social Status*
Suicidal Ideation