The Impact of Religiosity on Lesbian and Bisexual Women's Psychosexual Development

Abstract

SUMMARY We examined the relation between religiosity (importance of religion) and child maltreatment, psychosexual development, self-disclosure of homosexuality and reactions to same with two samples of sexual minority women (Internet n = 84, Coffee House n = 92) obtained with block sampling designs. Extremely important religiosity currently was associated with precocious psychosexual development and self-disclosure in the Internet sample only. Very important religiosity currently was associated with psychosexual development and self-disclosure of minority sexual orientation at significantly older ages. We discuss these results in the context of arguments that religiosity may be a risk factor for sexual minorities. Although not a risk factor in our samples, religiosity appeared to have lost the protective influence observed in studies of the general population.