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Original Research

Religious faith and transgender identities: The Dear Abby project

Alhasan GhazzawiThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;Maimonides Medical Center, New York, New York, USA;

, MD,

Selena Suhail-SindhuColumbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA;

, MPH,

Flávio CasoyThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;New York State Office of Mental Health, New York, New York, USA;

, MD,

Naomi LibbyThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut, USA;

, MD,

Christopher A. McIntoshThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;Michael Garron Hospital, Toronto, Canada; Correspondence[email protected]

, MD, FRCPC,

Stewart AdelsonThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA; ;Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA;

, MD,

Kenneth AshleyThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA;

, MD,

Jack DrescherThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA; ;Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, New York University, New York, New York, USA;

, MD,

David GoldenbergThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA;

, MD,

Kenneth HungThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA;

, MD,

Lorraine E. LothwellThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA;

, MD,

Marlin R. MattsonThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA;

, MD,

Scot G. McAfeeThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;SUNY Downstate Medical Center, New York, New York, USA;

, MD,

Alan SchwartzThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;William Alanson White Institute, New York, New York, USA;

, MD,

D. Andrew TompkinsThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA;

, MD, MHS,

Eric YarbroughThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), New York, New York, USA;

, MD &

Mary E. BarberThe Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, LGBT Committee, West Harrison, New York, USA; ;Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA; ;Union Theological Seminary, New York, New York, USA

, MD show all

Abstract

Religion and spirituality have been associated in many studies with an impact on mental and physical health. However, the relationship between religious faith and transgender identities is not well studied. To understand this relationship, the LGBT Committee of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry undertook a qualitative analysis. Participants in this study are a subset of a larger project investigating the role of religion and spirituality among all members of the LGBTQ community. The larger study invited input on LGBTQ identity and faith using an announcement posted by the “Dear Abby” column, published in hundreds of newspapers around the globe. Of the 86 participants in the study, eight responses were examined by participants who identified as transgender. Qualitative analysis of these survey results revealed the following themes: awareness of gender identity and development, mental health, God’s creation and spirit, fear of rejection, ambivalent acceptance, self-sacrifice for community, reconciliation with faith. Themes of both faith identity and gender identity were prevalent. Aspects of dual-identity development were painful and conflictual, but other aspects offered comfort, acceptance, and joy. When a participant’s family and community showed even partial acceptance of their transgender identity, greater resilience and integration resulted.

Keywords:

Conflicts of interest

The authors have no conflicts to disclose.

Notes

1 Current common usage is “transgender” rather than “transgendered.”

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Religious faith and transgender identities: The Dear Abby project

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