An exploratory study of religiosity and same-sex couple relationships

Sharon S. Rostosky; Melanie D. Otis; Ellen D.B. Riggle; Sondra Kelly; Carolyn Brodnicki

doi:10.1080/15504280802084407

An exploratory study of religiosity and same-sex couple relationships

Sharon S. Rostosky, Melanie D. Otis, Ellen D.B. Riggle, Sondra Kelly, Carolyn Brodnicki

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

An apparent lack of empirical research on religiosity and same-sex couple relationships led to an exploratory examination of the role of religiosity in the relationships of 90 same-sex couples. For most couple participants, religious expression took an internal or private form rather than a public form. Couples tended to be homogamous in their religiosity. Couple homogamy of intrinsic religiosity (but not of affiliation or public/private religious activities) was associated with higher relationship satisfaction. Couples used various strategies to address conflicts between sexual identity and religiosity including abandoning public religiosity in favor of private religious expression or retaining a public expression by integrating or compartmentalizing sexual minority identities. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	17-36
Number of pages	20
Journal	Journal of GLBT Family Studies
Volume	4
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/15504280802084407
State	Published - 2008

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Sharon S. Rostosky, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. Melanie D. Otis, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. Ellen D. B. Riggle, PhD, is Associate Professor of Political Science and Women’s Studies at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. Sondra Kelly, MA, works in the private sector. Carolyn Brodnicki, MS, is a doctoral student in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. Address correspondence to: Sharon S. Rostosky, PhD, Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, 245 Dickey Hall, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0017 (E-mail: rostosk@uky.edu). Portions of this research study were funded by the American Psychological Foundation’s Wayne F. Placek Award (2000). The authors express appreciation to Todd Savage, Ashley Reed, Cydney Jackson, Gina Owens, Robert A. Prather, and Marc Frisiello. They also thank the couples who generously shared their lives with the authors.

Keywords

Couple homogamy
Gay couples
Lesbian couples
Religiosity
Same-sex couples
Sexual identity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Gender Studies
Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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10.1080/15504280802084407

Cite this

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An exploratory study of religiosity and same-sex couple relationships

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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