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Cited by 48LGBTQ Health, Identity, and PolicyReligion and Society InteractionsGender and Feminist Studies

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Reconciling LGB and Christian Identities in the Rural South

Open access
Woodell, Brandi, Kazyak, Emily, Compton, D’Lane·2015·Social Sciences
DOI 10.3390/socsci4030859
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Abstract

Drawing on in-depth interviews with rural Christians living in the South who identify as lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB), this study analyzes how they negotiate their religious, geographic, and sexual identities. We find that most interviewees employed two strategies to reconcile their Christian and gay identities: emphasizing a personal connection to an accepting God and finding a local church in their rural community in which they felt accepted. We argue that rural contexts influenced interviewees’ reliance on these strategies and show how individuals can construct multiple interpretations about themselves, which do not always align with existing cultural assumptions. In addition, we argue that gender differences exist with regard to participants’ residential choices and the importance they place on “community”. We find that, in general, women value the privacy and freedom afforded to them in rural areas, a sentiment that is echoed in their religious choices while many of the men value the close knit community they find in their small towns.

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Metadata

Authors
Woodell, B., Kazyak, E., & Compton, D.
Affiliations
  • University of Nebraska–Lincoln (US)
  • LSU New Orleans (US)
Corresponding author
Woodell, Brandi
ORCID
Venue
Social Sciences
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2015-09-21
Volume
4
Issue
3
Pages
859-878
ISSN
2076-0760 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/socsci4030859
OpenAlex
W1704780874
Cited by
48
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 2
FWCI
2.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Social Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Lincoln (University of Nebraska) (submittedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Religion and Society Interactions
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
Keywords
gay identity, religious identity, rural South, rural communities, identity negotiation, gender differences, community, housing choice

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