A SURVEY OF GAY LESBIAN CATHOLICS CONCERNING ATTITUDES TOWARD SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

The negative assessment of lesbian/gay relationships in Catholic circles is most often based on scanty information gathered from folklore, the commercial media, and a narrow, literal reading from Biblical texts. Assumptions are made about the personal adjustment of individual gay/lesbian persons and the quality of their relationships without recourse to actual lived experience. This survey of 263 gay/lesbian Catholics and 20 controls was designed to receive direct feedback from lesbian/gay persons concerning their religious attitudes, personal adjustment, and relational quality. The results contradict many preconceptions, and a remarkable similarity is demonstrated between the gay/lesbian responses and those of the control group. © 1991 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.