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Reclaiming the spirit: The journeys of gay men and lesbian women toward integration

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Abstract

The goal of this study is to understand and describe the way gay men and lesbian women see and interpret their spiritual journeys. Its intent is to open up the variety of experiences that gay men and lesbians encounter and is, therefore, not based on a single religious tradition or path, such as through crisis or AIDS. The findings included a model which interweaves the coming out process and the spiritual journey for this group of gay men and lesbian women, highlighting the period of questioning, reclaiming, and reintegration that happens for many as they resolve their sense of themselves as sexual and spiritual. Also addressed is the choice of mainstream and non-mainstream spiritual identification.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School for New Learning, DePaul University, 243 S. Wabash Avenue, 60604, Chicago, Illinois

    David Shallenberger

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  1. David Shallenberger
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The research discussed in this report was supported in part by the University Research Council, DePaul University.

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Shallenberger, D. Reclaiming the spirit: The journeys of gay men and lesbian women toward integration. Qual Sociol 19, 195–215 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02393418

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