LGBTQ+ People Seeking A Faith Community Home: Implications For Social Workers And Allied Helping Professionals

LGBTQ+ people experience protective benefits from faith community participation, although some also experience minority stress from rejection and discrimination. Social workers, counselors, psychologists, nurse practitioners, and others can assist LGBTQ+ people in looking for a faith community that fits their needs and desires. This study reveals how LGBTQ+ people in this sample, most of whom identify as Christians, decided to attend their current faith community through an analysis methodology called Sort and Sift Think and Shift. Four contrasting themes were identified: welcoming versus inclusive, racial/ethnic versus LGBTQ+, inward versus outward, and role modeling versus blending. The authors explore the implications of these themes for helping professionals.<p></p>