Sexual/gender diversity and religious skepticism

[Modem Butterfly]

I was thinking about this on my way to work this AM: it seems to me that a higher than average percentage of religious skeptics whom I've met have had a diverse sexual/gender identity than in the general population. By that, I mean that I've met a number of atheists and/or agnostics who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and/or transgendered. Maybe about 20% or so of the folks that I've met. And I asked myself if it's possible that the relatively high percentage is because people of a diverse orientation are left behind by traditional religion, or if it's that they feel more comfortable being out among religious skeptics.

Then I started thinking about all of the folks I know who are gay, lesbian, bi and/or transgendered and I realized that many more of them express religious skepticism but don't use the dreaded "a" word to describe themselves unless pressed. I realized that among those folks, the percentage seems to be closer to 50%. Don't get me wrong, I've met plenty of people who have diverse orientations who are Xian or pagan or Jewish or whatever, but it seems like a huge number express religious skepticism or outright atheism without ever identifying themselves to me as atheists or agnostics.

I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this? It would make sense (to me), given how many religions treat people who don't have a strict heterosexual male/female orientation, that people who don't fit in that mold would reject religion. What have you all experienced?

[beam me up scottie]

1. I noticed the same thing but

I always thought it was because they were more likely to question societal norms.

How many people do you know that don't ever think about religion or god but say they're christians because that's what their parents were?

I think that if these people were to question their faith, they would reject the idea of a god.

Most people won't do that because it makes them uncomfortable.

I think that gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and trans-gendered people are used to thinking outside the box.

[immoderate]

2. A complex question. Some of my thoughts.

First, I don't think any of us would have good enough data to form a firm conclusion. This is anecdotal, and we would influence the outcome of conversations.

Personally, I lived in NYC most of my life and worked in theater and photography, so I encountered a great number of of sexually diverse people. But everybody in New York (the ones I encountered) seemed indifferent about religion. I hardly knew anyone among my regular acquaintances who was religiously observant.

Then I am Jewish. Most of the Jews I know can fall into the category of non-religious, but that is self selecting. Once, a young man was telling me how great it was that he was born again, and tried to convince me to get saved. I told him I was Jewish, that usually ends it. But he persisted, so I told him I was an atheist, and I couldn't see asking the god I didn't believe in to give me salvation. He said, "Funny, most Jews I meet are atheists. They're smart though."(?)

To get back to your question, my subjective impression is that though GLBTs may not be traditional theists, they are not rigorous skeptics either. They may be more likely to affect non-traditional religions or pseudo-sciences or new age woo-woo stuff. But that's not a scientific opinion.

--IMM

[NMMNG]

3. I've been lesbian since birth

I was indoctrinated into Christianity beginning in my eighth year of life and remained with it for the next two decades. I had an atheist friend who outright told me she thought it was BS. Later I had a gay friend who believed in God but detested organized religion. He asked, "How the hell can you believe in that crap knowing how they feel about gays?". I'd already been having some doubts by then, and about two years later I "lost my religion" and became an atheist.

Ironically I have no qualms about telling people I'm a lesbian if the topic comes up. However I will dodge questions about faith with all but those I trust implicitly, particularly in today's f*cked up political climate where the whackjobs will do who-knows-what to people who are non-christian or the "wrong kind" of christian. (This doesn't apply in online forums of course).

[Modem Butterfly]

4. I used to work for someone who perceived me as a lesbian

I used to work for a small recruiting agency, and found out at the holiday party that the owner and boss had thought I was a lesbian the entire time I'd been working for him, which was about three or four months (I'm not a lesbian and I'm not entirely clear on why he thought I was). He had no problem with it apparently, at least he didn't say that, but two months later when he found out I was an atheist, he fired me, saying that it made him uncomfortable to have an employee who was so arrogant as to not acknowledge god...

[NMMNG]

5. Sounds like material for a good lawsuit

If you had wanted to pursue it. Even if you hadn't won it you could have made him lose some money.

[Modem Butterfly]

12. At the time, I couldn't find a lawyer who wanted to touch it

More than one lawyer actually told me that the law protects only people with religion, not those without religion, from discrimination. Of course, had I known now what I know then, I would have hired a PR firm...

[YankeyMCC]

7. bad business decision

Seems like atheists would be the best employee.

No need to give them all those holidays off!

;)

[NMMNG]

11. Oh no

Atheists are immoral...they'll slack off, rob you blind, drink on the job and who knows what else because they don't answer to God. :sarcasm:

[jonnyblitz]

6. well i am gay and i very vocal about my atheism.

I get more crap for being an atheist than I do for being gay. Suprisingly most gay folks i have met over my lifetime hold some sort of spirtual belief. I have met a slew of buddhist gay guys online. I have met very few atheist gays to be honest. many I have met claim to believe in god or a higher power but don't practice any specific religion and don't give it much thought one way or the other. :shrug:

[toddaa]

13. Coming out of the closet twice

Isn't that pretty much what you have to do? And if so, which sucked worse?

[Lars39]

8. I think it is a self-preservation technique; a once bitten twice shy

kind of thing. They know what it is like to be abused, know that the
'atheist' label often means more abuse, so they just steer clear of the label.

[jonnyblitz]

9. i completely agree. nt

[Taxloss]

10. "Atheist? Heavens no, I just don't believe in God."

I've noticed that. Technically speaking these people should be called atheist (not even agnostic), but they don't identify as atheist. Perhaps they appreciate that being as openly atheist as many people are openly religious isn't a bag of laughs. Perhaps that's why LGBT people are more inclined to reject outright atheism; they have enough hassle from society related to their sexual orientation.