The weaving of the garment that I'm wearing: The spiritual lives of gay men in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Abstract

This small qualitative study took an in-depth look at the spiritual lives of gay men in Aotearoa New Zealand seeking to understand how they have constructed both their spiritual and sexual identities. A qualitative approach, in which eight participants were interviewed, was adopted. Thematic analysis was carried out to identify and understand the major themes related to what being spiritual and being a gay man meant to them, and the experiences each had gone through in the process. It sought to understand in particular these identities within the context of Aotearoa New Zealand. Each talked about what it meant to be a gay man who is spiritual in Aotearoa New Zealand, and how ideas around masculinity may also impact on this position. It was found that gay affirmative organisations and help from significant others meant they could develop a more secure spiritual and sexual identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)