“Keep Your Spirit Aligned”: A Case Study on Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Students Defining and Practicing Spirituality

Abstract

“Keep Your Spirit Aligned”: A Case Study on Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Students Defining and Practicing Spirituality Darris R. Means (bio), Joan Collier (bio), Cori Bazemore-James (bio), Brittany M. Williams (bio), Raphael Coleman (bio), and Brenda Anderson Wadley (bio) Researchers have explored the juxtaposition of racial identity and spirituality and/or religious identity of Black collegians (Herndon, 2010; Stewart, 2009; K. L. Walker & Dixon, 2002). Though spirituality and religion are often (inter)connected, Hill and colleagues (2000) argued that religion is often associated with proscribing “a search for the sacred” or “search for non-sacred goals” (e.g., sense of belonging) that receives “validation and support from within an identifiable group of people” (e.g., a religious institution) and spirituality is about a search for the sacred that may or may not be proscribed by an organized entity (p. 66). Researchers have found that spirituality and religion are sources of resiliency for Black college students as they navigate predominantly White campus environments and/or academic demands (Herndon, 2010; Patton & McClure, 2009; Wood & Hilton, 2012); however, heteronormativity and homophobia can complicate the relationship between self and religion and spirituality for Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) students (McGuire, Cisneros, & McGuire, 2017; Means, 2017; Washington & Wall, 2010). Building on Patton and McClure’s (2009) study on African American women and the role of spirituality in their collegiate lives, we sought to better understand the role of spirituality in the lives of Black LGBQ students through a qualitative case study. Our research questions were: How do Black LGBQ undergraduate and graduate students define spirituality? and What resources and spaces are available to Black LGBQ undergraduate and graduate students to develop, practice, and/or exercise their spirituality? We were interested in how Black LGBQ students define spirituality, if religion is included in their definition, and how they exercise their spirituality. LITERATURE REVIEW In a qualitative study, Means and Jaeger (2016) found that Black gay and bisexual [End Page 618] men in college associated spirituality with religion when navigating their spirituality and spiritual spaces; however, students also discussed how their spirituality was informed by science, nature, and music. Regardless of how students defined spirituality and if religion was included, researchers have found religiosity can engender negative responses and memories for Black LGBQ adults but can also be used as a source of resiliency (Means, 2017; J. J. Walker & Longmire-Avital, 2013). In a study on religious faith and homonegativity for Black LGB emerging adults, J. J. Walker and Longmire-Avital (2013) found that “for those reporting high internalized homonegativity, religious faith was a significant contributor” for increased resiliency (p. 1727). Scholars have also discussed how Black gay and bisexual men experienced homophobia and racism as they navigated their spirituality or in spiritual spaces, specifically churches (Means, 2017; Means & Jaeger, 2016; Washington & Wall, 2010). Researchers have found that students were able to reconcile their racial, sexuality, and religious or spiritual identities by creating their own spiritual guidelines or by developing a personal relationship with a higher power (Means, 2017; Means & Jaeger, 2016). Means (2017) also found students were able to resist homophobic and racist messages during their spiritual journeys by finding or creating affirming spiritual spaces, including residence hall rooms, nature, music-based spaces, and open and affirming churches. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK We framed this study using quare theory (Johnson & Henderson, 2005), which combines ideologies of Black and queer studies to extend service of potentially exclusive rhetoric found in queer studies to the experiences of Black queer people. By utilizing quare theory, we sought to both affirm the sexual identity of our participants and center their experiences as Black students. Moreover, we were interested in examining the complexities of negotiating spirituality as Black queer people, which aligns with quare theory’s goal of capturing historical and cultural differences that impact experiences and expressions of queerness (Johnson & Henderson, 2005). METHOD We used case study methodology to study the phenomenon of Black LGBQ students defining, developing, and practicing spirituality. A case study is a rich description and analysis in a bounded context (Yin, 2014). Our bounded context was a large, public, predominantly White institution in the Southern United States. Participants in this study discussed the...