ABSTRACT

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS church), beliefs about same-sex sexual attraction are carefully differentiated from beliefs about same-sex sexual behavior and identity, leading some to reject a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer (LGBQ) identity label in favor of declining a sexual identity or describing themselves as experiencing same-sex attraction (SSA). Using data from 1,128 sexual minority Mormons recruited from both politically conservative and liberal circles, we examined the relationship between rejecting an LGBQ identity and religiousness, attitudes toward sexuality, and health outcomes. We found that Mormons who reject an LGBQ identity were significantly more religious and less content with their sexuality but had similar health outcomes relative to LGBQ Mormons. We posit that these differences are best understood by differences in group affiliation and support, intersectional experiences with minority stressors, and the lack of generalizability of LGBQ constructs to those who reject an LGBQ identity.

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With a unique and often overlooked sample of 1,126 sexual minority Mormons, we found that the endorsement or rejection of an LGBQ identity in and of itself was unrelated to health outcomes. Our results suggest that SSA Mormons likely received greater support from their religious communities, whereas LGBQ Mormons may have received more support from LGBQ communities. Although SSA Mormons more frequently concealed their sexual orientation and reported more internalized homonegativity and less contentedness with their sexuality, these differences did not impact depression, anxiety, flourishing, or life satisfaction. This lack of differences suggests that an additional nuance is needed in the assessment and understanding of sexual minority Mormons in both research and therapeutic contexts. We encourage researchers and therapists to take a thorough intersectional approach when working with or studying sexual minority Mormons to better manage bias and understand the participants/clients.