Black Sexual Minority Men’s Disclosure of Sexual Orientation Is Associated With Exposure to Homonegative Religious Messages

Abstract

Previous research has highlighted the homonegative atmospheres of many religious communities in Western society and their harmful impact on Black sexual minority (SM) people’s mental and physical health. However, few studies have examined the relationship between sexual orientation disclosure to church members and exposure to homonegative religious messages in religious settings. This online quantitative study investigated this relationship among a sample of 320 Black SM men. The participants for this study were recruited nationally from across the United States and had a mean age of 34 years. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analyses were conducted. Findings indicated that sexual orientation disclosure to church members was significantly associated with exposure to homonegative religious messages, even when controlling for geographic region of residence and denominational affiliation. Black SM men who had higher levels of disclosure were exposed to fewer homonegative religious messages. The implications of these findings for health research and clinical work with Black SM men are discussed in detail.

Religiosity and Conversion Therapy is Associated with Psychosocial Health Problems among Sexual Minority Men (SMM) in Nigeria

“…Some research has shown religiosity to be associated with positive psychosocial health outcomes in the general population including positive affect, higher quality of life, and greater life satisfaction (Abu-Raiya, 2013;Shah et al, 2011). Other studies have shown religiosity to be linked to poorer mental health outcomes (Jonathan M Lassiter et al, 2019aLassiter et al, , 2019bOlson et al, 2012). In line with the minority stress model, the potential negative psychosocial health effects of religiosity may be exacerbated among SMM due to the potential internalization of negative messages and sentiments related to same-sex attraction that might be propagated by religious leaders and community members, specifically in religious institutions that are unaccepting of sexual minority communities.…”

“…Prior studies have shown homonegative religious experiences to be associated with internalized homophobia, lower self-esteem, and higher stress over same-gender attractions among sexual minority populations (Barnes & Meyer, 2012;Hamblin & Gross, 2014;Lassiter & Parsons, 2016;Shilo & Savaya, 2012;Sowe et al, 2014). A study that explored the associations between disclosure of sexual orientation and homonegative religious messages among SMM in the U.S. found that disclosing one's sexual orientation to church members was significantly associated with being exposed to homonegative religious messages (Jonathan Mathias Lassiter et al, 2019aLassiter et al, , 2019b. Another study found that religious coping was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and lower levels of resilience and social support (Jonathan M Lassiter et al, 2019aLassiter et al, , 2019b.…”

“…A study that explored the associations between disclosure of sexual orientation and homonegative religious messages among SMM in the U.S. found that disclosing one's sexual orientation to church members was significantly associated with being exposed to homonegative religious messages (Jonathan Mathias Lassiter et al, 2019aLassiter et al, , 2019b. Another study found that religious coping was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and lower levels of resilience and social support (Jonathan M Lassiter et al, 2019aLassiter et al, , 2019b. These findings demonstrate the duality in the impact of religion-both positive and negative-on mental health outcomes of SMM.…”

“…To fill this research gap, the current study investigated the associations between sociodemographic characteristics, social marginalization, psychosocial health, minority stress, healthcare access, religiosity and religious beliefs related to same-sex sexual attractions among SMM in Nigeria. Based on the minority stress model (Meyer, 2003) and prior literature (Jonathan M Lassiter et al, 2019aLassiter et al, , 2019b, we hypothesized that higher levels of religious service attendance, a history of religious conversion therapy (defined as practices aimed at changing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity), and endorsement of negative religious beliefs related to samesex sexual attraction will be associated with poorer psychosocial health outcomes among SMM in Nigeria.…”

Development of a Black Caucus within the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN): Representing the Perspectives of Black Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)

“…Clinical factors have been shown to affect HIV incidence and prevalence rates among Black MSM, such as infrequent HIV/STI testing patterns, undiagnosed and untreated HIV/STI infections, higher frequencies of HIV/STIs within sexual networks, and suboptimal viral load suppression rates [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. In addition, a growing body of research has shown that stigma has influenced the increasing disproportionate HIV disease burden among Black MSM (e.g., racism, homophobia, HIV-related stigma and discrimination, and religiosity-based stigma and discrimination) [8,[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. Taken together, these studies provide a core basis for understanding key contexts that contribute to the increased HIV vulnerability among Black MSM.…”