Influence of the catholic religion on the acceptance of sexual orientation: a case history

The influence of the Catholic Church in present-day Guatemala, among other reasons, leads to rejection towards certain groups of people, such as homosexuals. Acceptance of one's sexual orientation is often affected by religion due to the doctrine that the Church has taught and proclaimed. The Catholic religion excludes any loving and sexual contact between people of the same sex, so individuals, especially during adolescence, often experience a series of psychological problems that are mostly a result of fear of rejection. However, there has been a change in this matter nowadays, as Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, has proclaimed peace and shown support for the LGBT community. This research identifies the influence of the Catholic religion on the acceptance of a homosexual teenager's sexual orientation within their family. The approach was qualitative, with a narrative design, and the technique used was a case study. Three interviews were conducted: one with the teenager, another with their mother, and the last one with their grandmother. After obtaining the information, it was analyzed and organized chronologically, combining the information from the three participants.