"I Want to Go to a Place That's Openly Talking About the Experiences of People of Color Who Also Identify as LGBTQ+": Cultural, Religious, and Spiritual Experiences of LGBTQ People of Color

There has been little research that explores the intersection of religious and spiritual identities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ) people of color (POC). The present study aimed to gain insight about the importance of religious and spiritual identities among LGBTQ POC. A community sample of 78 POC who self-identified within the LGBTQ community participated in an online survey. Thematic analysis revealed seven themes, including: (a) past conflict with religious/spiritual identity and LGBTQ identity, (b) mental health challenges, (c) cognitive dissonance, (d) exploration and new identification within religion, (e) stronger spiritual connection, (f) intersection of culture, race, and ethnicity and religion and spirituality, and (g) positive experiences. We provide implications for clinical practice, including the need to provide resources for LGBTQ affirming churches and spiritual communities and taking into consideration the intersection of religion and spirituality when working with LGBTQ POC clients.