Questionable identities: a study of gay and evangelical christian identity conflict and resolution
Date
2000
Authors
Walton, Gerald
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Abstract
This study investigates the ways in which some men who identify as both gay and evangelical Christian integrate those identities into their lives. Analysis of interview data yielded a variety of strategies that the research subjects had adopted in order to facilitate identity integration. The theoretical focus was on two models of homosexual identity formation, namely, Cass (1984) and Troiden (1988). The efficacy of each model in describing homosexual identity formation of individuals who have also maintained an evangelical Christian one is examined. In spite of their strengths, each model has some limitations. A new model is proposed which more closely resembles the paths of gay identity formation of the men in this study, one that retains the strengths of the Cass and Troiden models. The thesis concludes with a discussion about political and research implications of the new model, including its possible application to identities other than gay and Christian ones.