Queer and Muslim college student identity integration

This study explored how college students who identify as both queer and Muslim navigated contradicting identity influences to integrate their religious and sexual identities. The results of the constructivist grounded theory shed light on the cyclical process of identity integration and the iterative nature of meaning making spurred by external dissonance from family, peers, religious authorities, and the ethnic community or culture. Findings also highlight the mechanisms that queer Muslims mobilize to overcome external dissonance by (a) redefining religious truths through interpreting Islamic texts and articulating religious beliefs, (b) preserving familial relationships by contextualizing attitudes and articulating a sense of duty, (c) navigating the paradox of choice engendered by queer and Muslim identities, and (d) balancing individualism and collectivism. Implications for research, theory, and practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)