Factors Associated With Involvement in Nonmetropolitan LGBTQ Organizations: Proximity? Generativity? Minority Stress? Social Location?

Abstract

Little is known about involvement in LGBTQ organizations. Factors associated with involvement in nonmetropolitan LGBTQ organizations were examined using logistic regression and survey data from 426 LGBTQ individuals residing in a nonmetropolitan region. Involvement was examined in five types of organizations (professional, social/recreational, religious, political, and community center/charity). The same model testing proximity, generativity, minority stress, and social location hypotheses was repeated for each organization type. Results demonstrate that the generativity hypothesis is most strongly supported. Indeed, emotional attachment to the LGBTQ community significantly increased the odds of involvement in every type of organization. However, the factors associated with involvement otherwise differed by organization type. Implications for organizational leaders are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• community involvement
• gay
• lesbian
• bisexual
• transgender
• queer
• generativity
• minority stress
• proximity
• social location