Bisexual Women in the Christian Faith: Composing with a Complex Identity

Abstract

Research has shown that bisexual women of the Christian faith are faced with a quadruple minority status composed of first holding a non-heterosexual orientation; second by having a sexual attraction based on the person rather than their gender; third by being both a person of sexual minority and part of the Christian faith; and fourth being a woman in a patriarchal society. This grounded-theory based qualitative study aimed to clarify how this population composes with these multiple layers of oppression and with their complex identities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with two Canadian Anglophone women between the ages of 18-50 who identify as bisexual and Christian. Results revealed seventeen emerging themes and three meaning units which inform the process by which these bisexual women have managed to compose with their complex identity comprised of being bisexual, Christian, and women. Based on the results of this study a model outlining the clinical dimensions to be considered for psychotherapy with this population was elaborated.