Understanding the Experiences of Asian American Side B Sexual Minority Christians

Abstract

Research dedicated to understanding the experiences of Asian American sexual minority Christians have been largely unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the experiences of Asian American sexual minority Christians who hold to the historic Christian sexual ethic, which maintains that same-sex marriage and sexual relationships are not theologically permissible. A total of 12 participants were included in this study. I implemented an interpretive qualitative design and used semistructured interviews, questionnaires, and field notes to understand how this population (a) describe their experiences of sexual identity development and related milestone events, (b) describe their experiences with religion and religious faith communities, within the context of sexuality identity, and (c) describe the experiences with ethnic/racial identity, within the context of religious and sexual identity. I coded and analyzed the data for themes by using thematic analysis and identified the following themes: Sexual Identity Development, The Process of Coming Out to Others, Early Faith Community Experiences, The Role of Religion, Community Attitudes Toward Sexuality, and Navigating Multiple Identities. Findings and implications from this study can provide guidance for clinical practice in understanding the complex and nuanced interplay of an individual’s sexual identity, religious identity, and ethnic/racial identity.