“Maybe I Need Christ or Maybe I Just Need Me”: Functions of Religion among Young Black Members of the LGBTQIA Community in the United States

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the functions of religion for a group of 76 young Black members of the LGBTQIA community ages 18–30 years old based on the question: What are some of the functions of religion that make continued congregational involvement viable for members of this community? Emerging adulthood theory suggests that late adolescence is a period of self-discovery and societal critique. To my knowledge, this theory has not been used to study the religious experiences of young Black sexual minorities. Content analysis shows the functions of religion as a controlling mechanism during childhood, a conflict mechanism during teen years, and religion/spirituality as a cathartic mechanism during late adolescence.

Keywords

• functions of religion
• Black young people
• sexual identity
• religious coping
• Black Church
• spirituality