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Breaking Boundaries: The Impact of Coming Out on Religious Beliefs and Mental Wellbeing Among LGBTQ Individuals from an Afro-Caribbean background in the UK

Doctoral Training Grant Funding Information

This funding model includes a 36 month fully funded PhD Studentship, set in-line with the Research Council values. For 2025/6, this will be £20,780 per year. The tax-free stipend will be paid monthly. This PhD Studentship also includes a Full-Time Home Fee Scholarship for up to 3 years. The funding is subject to your continued registration on the research degree, making satisfactory progression within your PhD, as well as attendance on and successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Practice. 

All applicants will receive the same stipend irrespective of fee status.

Application Closing Date:
Midday (UK Time) on Wednesday 16th April 2025 for a start date of the 1st September 2025.

How to Apply

To apply, please follow the below steps:

  1. Complete the BCU Online Application Form here: Social Sciences PhDs.
  2. Complete the Doctoral Studentship Proposal Form in full, ensuring that you quote the project ID. You will be required to upload your proposal in place of a personal statement on the BCU online application form.
  3. Upload two references to your online application form (at least one of which must be an academic reference).
  4. Upload your qualification(s) for entry onto the research degree programme. This will be Bachelor/Master’s certificate(s) and transcript(s).
  5. International applicants must also provide a valid English language qualification. Please see the list of English language qualifications accepted here. Please check the individual research degree course page for the required scores.

Frequently Asked Questions

To help support you to complete your application, please consult the frequently asked questions below:

If your question is not answered above and you need any further information, please use the contact details below: 

- For enquiries about the project content, please contact: Ben.colliver@bcu.ac.uk

- For enquiries about the application procedure, please contact: research.admissions@bcu.ac.uk

Project title: Breaking Boundaries: The Impact of Coming Out on Religious Beliefs and Mental Wellbeing Among LGBTQ Individuals from an Afro-Caribbean background in the UK 

Project lead: Dr Ben Colliver

Project ID: 44101365 

Project description:

This project will look at the experiences of LGBTQ+ people from Afro-Caribbean backgrounds in the UK who grew up in Pentecostal, Evangelical, or Charismatic Christian communities. Studies about homosexuality in Black churches are rare, and most of the existing research is based in the US or done by heterosexual pastors or LGBTQ+ Christians. However, many Black LGBTQ+ people have reported being rejected, discriminated against, or facing homophobia in Christian communities because of religious beliefs that view homosexuality as sinful.  

The project will use an intersectional approach, looking at how sexuality, gender, race, and religion all play a role in shaping these experiences. It will focus on how people navigate “coming out” as LGBTQ+ while being of Afro-Caribbean descent, and the impact of revealing non-religious or alternative beliefs. This is an area that hasn’t been studied much but is important for understanding this community and creating better support systems.  

The study will use ideas from queer theory to focus on LGBTQ+ lives and Critical Race Theory to examine how colonialism enforced strict views about gender and sexuality. Data will be collected through interviews with Afro-Caribbean LGBTQ+ people who have experienced negotiating their sexual and gendered identities with their religious upbringing. Participants will be recruited through community organizations, LGBTQ+ services, and religious groups. The interviews will then be analysed using thematic analysis to identify key themes. 

Anticipated findings and contribution to knowledge:

This study is expected to provide a deeper understanding of several critical areas concerning the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals raised within religious environments. Specifically, it aims to explore: 

  • The psychological impact of reconciling LGBTQ+ identity with religious upbringing, contributing to knowledge on the role of internalised homophobia and pressure to conform to community expectations.   
  • Strategies employed by individuals to navigate conflicting identities.   

The insights gained from this research will play a vital role in shaping culturally competent mental health interventions and support services tailored to the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals with religious backgrounds. These services would consider the unique intersections of race, religion, and sexuality, ensuring they are relevant and effective for this population. Furthermore, the findings will inform policy recommendations for religious institutions, urging them to adopt more inclusive practices, and for LGBTQ+ support organizations to create resources that specifically address the experiences of individuals from religiously conservative or culturally unique backgrounds. By addressing the significant gap in UK-based research on this topic, this study seeks to promote a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of the varied and complex experiences within the Black LGBTQ+ community. 

Person Specification:

International applicants must also provide a valid English language qualification, such as International English Language Test System (IELTS) or equivalent with an overall score of 6.5 with no band below 6.0.