Black Church, Gay Church: Identity Prioritization and Church Preference Among Black Sexual Minorities

ABSTRACT Sexual orientation and gender identity remain hotly debated topics in US Christianity. A growing body of research explores the relationship between LGBTQ people and the Church. However, prior studies have not adequately examined how minoritized identities inform where people prefer to worship. This article draws on in‐depth interviews to examine how Black LGBTQ individuals discuss their congregational preferences and how their social identities shape those preferences. Findings reveal that Black sexual minorities view their racial identity as most central and tend to prioritize their racial and religious identities when choosing a congregation. The uniqueness of Black Christian worship spaces, antipathy for affirming churches that profusely center sexuality, and viewing affirming churches as less legitimate prompt Black LGBTQ people to favor Black churches over affirming ones. The results foreground the role of identity in religious participation and call for additional critical scholarship on the complex relationship between race and religion.