Quiet Hills, Restless Hearts: An Intersectional Exploration of LGBTQ+ Religious Journeys in Appalachia
Abstract
South Central Appalachia (i.e., Northeast Tennessee, Western North Carolina, Southwest Virginia) has been referred to as a high-stigma, low-resource geographic location for LGBTQ+ folks, likely due to deep cultural and religious beliefs that promote stigma. While previous research has looked at the impact of broader minority stressors and negative mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ individuals, limited work has directly examined the presence of religious stress for this community or the religious journeys of these individuals. This study lies at the intersection of religion, LGBTQ+ identity, social support, and the overarching values of Appalachian culture and employs a feminist intersectional framework. The central research question that guides the exploration of these intersections is: How have experiences with religion influenced the lived experiences of minoritized LGBTQ+ individuals from rural South-Central Appalachia? A total of 25 individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ and have experience living in South-Central Appalachia completed a one-on-one phone interview guided by a semi-structured outline to share their religious journeys (i.e., experiences with organized religion, shifts in religious beliefs, importance of community). An inductive coding approach and reflexive thematic analysis were used with the aid of NVivo software for crafting initial codes and defining emergent themes. The themes developed through this reflexive thematic analysis approach will be presented. Themes communicate a wide array of experiences that impact or reshape LGBTQ+ individuals’ approaches to religion and spirituality. This research is crucial in gaining a comprehensive understanding of how Appalachian culture, LGBTQ+ identity, and religion interact to influence the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in this specific geographic region.
Start Time
15-4-2026 1:30 PM
End Time
15-4-2026 2:30 PM
Room Number
271
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
UG Orals
Presentation Category
Social Sciences
Student Type
Undergraduate Student
Faculty Mentor
Stacey Williams
Quiet Hills, Restless Hearts: An Intersectional Exploration of LGBTQ+ Religious Journeys in Appalachia
271
South Central Appalachia (i.e., Northeast Tennessee, Western North Carolina, Southwest Virginia) has been referred to as a high-stigma, low-resource geographic location for LGBTQ+ folks, likely due to deep cultural and religious beliefs that promote stigma. While previous research has looked at the impact of broader minority stressors and negative mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ individuals, limited work has directly examined the presence of religious stress for this community or the religious journeys of these individuals. This study lies at the intersection of religion, LGBTQ+ identity, social support, and the overarching values of Appalachian culture and employs a feminist intersectional framework. The central research question that guides the exploration of these intersections is: How have experiences with religion influenced the lived experiences of minoritized LGBTQ+ individuals from rural South-Central Appalachia? A total of 25 individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ and have experience living in South-Central Appalachia completed a one-on-one phone interview guided by a semi-structured outline to share their religious journeys (i.e., experiences with organized religion, shifts in religious beliefs, importance of community). An inductive coding approach and reflexive thematic analysis were used with the aid of NVivo software for crafting initial codes and defining emergent themes. The themes developed through this reflexive thematic analysis approach will be presented. Themes communicate a wide array of experiences that impact or reshape LGBTQ+ individuals’ approaches to religion and spirituality. This research is crucial in gaining a comprehensive understanding of how Appalachian culture, LGBTQ+ identity, and religion interact to influence the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in this specific geographic region.
