American's feelings toward LGBTQ based on religiosity and spirituality

Publication Date

2026

Presentation Length

Poster/Gallery presentation

College

College of Sciences & Mathematics

Department

Psychological Sciences and Neurosciences, Department of

Student Level

Undergraduate

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Adam Smiley

Metadata/Fulltext

Metadata ONLY

Presentation Type

Poster

Summary

Past research has demonstrated that religious people who interpret the Bible more literally tend to hold more negative feelings toward homosexuals (Cragun & Sumerau, 2015). A study conducted on a sample of sexual minorities who were affiliated with the Ladder Day Saints (Mormons) found that the psychological aspects of religion (i.e. personal religious commitment) were correlated with positive impacts on participants mental health while behavioral aspects (i.e. attending church services) were correlated with negative effects on participant mental health (Skidmore et al., 2025). These findings highlight the complex relationship between intersecting religious and LGBTQ identities and the interactions they may have with congregation members. The purpose of the current study was to explore how feelings toward LGBTQ members may be impacted by various domains of religiosity, spirituality, and political affiliation. To explore this topic, I analyzed data from the 2023-2024 Religious Landscape Study (RLS) Dataset (N=36,908). I hypothesize that LGBTQ support will be negatively correlated with the age of the respondent. Additionally, I hypothesize that more traditional Abrahamic religions (e.g. Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) will have lower levels of acceptance for homosexuals compared to non-Abrahamic and/or less traditional forms of Christianity (e.g. Buddhist, Hindu, and Other Christian denominations). Data will be analyzed and the results will be presented at SPARK.

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