Intersections of queer, gender, and religious socialization: a critical collaborative autoethnography

Abstract

As four queer counseling and counselor education scholars, we used critical collaborative autoethnography to examine socialization influences on our queer, gender, and religious identities. Analysis revealed four themes describing social-cultural socialization’s influence on identity negotiation processes: social-cultural/environmental influences; navigating inequalities, power relations, and structures; personal/internal development; and action-oriented change. Findings inform counseling, psychology, PK-12 and higher education, and an interdisciplinary understanding of intersectional identity development for queer persons in theologically conservative and gendered contexts and warrant further investigation of intersectional identity development for queer persons navigating dominant gendered, racist, and religious contexts.

Keywords:

• Collaborative autoethnography
• gender socialization
• religious socialization
• queer socialization
• socialization theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Thomas Killian

Thomas Killian, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. With extensive experience as a licensed counselor and supervisor, Dr. Killian has gained valuable expertise in various settings, including university counseling and psychological services, a university athletic department, and a residential facility. His research interests span a broad spectrum, encompassing topics such as multicultural and social justice competency, community-engaged research and evaluation, and queer issues in counseling.

Harvey Charles Peters

Harvey Charles Peters, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at The George Washington University in the Department of Counseling and Human Development. His interdisciplinary research involves the expansion of cultural responsivity, social justice, and anti-oppression within counseling, counselor education, and qualitative methodology.

Christian D. Chan

Christian D. Chan, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. in the Department of Counseling and Educational Development. His research interests revolve around intersectionality; effects of oppression and trauma, especially race-based trauma, on counseling, career, and educational pathways; social justice and activism; and communication/socialization of cultural factors in couple, family, and group modalities.

Mina Attia

Mina Attia, PhD, is an assistant professor of counseling and human development and co-director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at The George Washington University. His research agenda consists of two main branches: the first focuses on the trauma and adjustment of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, while the second explores multicultural issues of ethics and professional development in counseling.