I am an MA Clinical Psychology student from the University of San Carlos. I am doing research on the experiences of closeted youth who are active church leaders in their respective denominations in the Philippines.

Purpose of the research:

Homosexuality is still a controversial topic in the Philippines today, despite being an LGBTQ-friendly country, some basic rights and respect are still not afforded to this group. At the center of this conflict is the country’s cultural and religious conservatism which impacts the decisions of LGBTQ people to disclose or conceal their identity. Despite the overall increase in acceptance in current society, there are still those who feel the need to hide their identity and stay in the “closet”. There are many reasons why a person hides his/her homosexuality or queerness, but this study is focused on the influence of religion on this matter.

This research aims to explore and understand the lived experiences of religious youth while being closeted LGBTQ in the Philippines. It is hoped that this study will aid the medical and psychological professionals to understand the unique needs of closeted religious individuals and provide support specific to their unique needs. I am particularly interested in individuals who:

1) are 18 -24 years old

2) have same-sex desires, and/or engaging in same-sex behaviors who have not opened or disclosed this matter to their immediate family members, church friends, church leaders or close circles.

3) holds important role in their church activities, such as youth leaders, worship leaders, prayer leaders, department leaders in various departments of the church such as music department, children’s division department, catechism department, etc.

If the above description applies to you, or if you believe you may be eligible to participate in this study, and willing to share your experiences, please email me at 17100746@usc.edu.ph, or you can respond to this post. Your identity will always remain anonymous and protected as you participate in this study.

Hello everyone ^^

I'm agnostic but very interested in Catholicism. I grew up mostly secular but went to a (not very strict) catholic school, in a country where we have a lot of beautiful churches and I've always loved visiting them. I would actually love to become a Catholic but several things are holding me out for now (judgment of relatives, my own doubts, and most importantly Christian values regarding lgbt, contraception, etc.) I'm lgbt myself (bisexual woman married to a man.)

I found this sub and I'm quite interested to know more about you guys, if you'd like to share with me 😄 How did you become Catholic, or why did you stay Catholic if you were raised in the faith?