The impact of religiosity on lesbian and bisexual women's psychosexual development : child maltreatment, suicide attempts, and self-disclosure

R. Mathy, M. Schillace

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.[Copies are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Center. The Haworth Press, Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580, USA]