Intracommunity Stigma As a Moderator between Religiosity and Sexual Orientation Affirmation for LGBTQ+ Adults

Background and Purpose: Religiosity is often associated with positive mental health indicators but, for LGBTQ+ individuals, exposure to homophobia and transphobia in religious contexts may complicate its protective effects. Prior research has shown that anti-LGBTQ+ messaging is linked to internalized homophobia and poorer health outcomes, but far less is known about how LGBTQ+ individuals navigate religiosity alongside connection to the LGBTQ+ community. In particular, stigma within the LGBTQ+ community may shape whether religiosity bolsters or undermines one’s sexual orientation affirmation, as LGBTQ+ community connection is a protective factor against the impacts of internalized homophobia. This study hypothesizes that religious LGBTQ+ people’s experience of intracommunity stigma will moderate the relationship between religiosity and sexual orientation affirmation for LGBTQ+ adults. Methods: Guided by minority stress theory, this study used a cross-sectional survey of 507 LGBTQ+ adults. A linear regression model with an interaction term between intracommunity stigma (mild, moderate, or severe) and religiosity (not, slightly, moderately, or very religious) was estimated to examine predictors of sexual orientation affirmation (range: 14-49). The model controlled for covariates (i.e. outness, depression, anxiety, sexual orientation, and gender), accounted for possible clustering at the state level, and tested for model sensitivity. Robustness checks included an alternative specification of the moderator as a continuous measure. Results: The full model explained 23% of the variance in sexual orientation affirmation (F = 13.81, p < .001). The interaction between intracommunity stigma and religiosity was significant among moderately religious participants who reported moderate (p <.05) and severe (p <.05) intracommunity stigma. Simple slopes analysis showed that moderate and severe intracommunity stigma predicted 3.7 and 7.5 unit decreases in affirmation, respectively, among moderately religious participants. Conclusion and Implications: Study findings underscore that intracommunity stigma can decrease religious LGBTQ+ people’s sexual orientation affirmation, particularly among moderately religious LGBTQ+ individuals. A key takeaway is the variety between the experiences of religious LGBTQ+ people, which invites further research of this population. Implications for practice include more comprehensive training of mental health professionals to support LGBTQ+ people in integrating their relationship to religion and their access to affirming community connections. Future research should explore interventions that address intracommunity stigma, particularly for religious LGBTQ+ people.