A match made in heaven

Being queer and Christian while using dating apps

Bibliographic Data

ID3607447
AuthorsW E King (University of Washington, corresponding author)
Year2025
Pages1-28
Publication date2025-09-08
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Gender Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0958-9236 • E-ISSN: 1465-3869
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09589236.2025.2510286
OpenAlexW4414062003
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited38

Christian culture and queer culture interact with beliefs shaping technology design and use and are intertwined with power structures that impact how queer Christians see themselves as humans. The power relations involved in queer Christian subjectivity provoke contradictions, inciting queer Christians to wrestle with their identities, practices, and relationships in particular ways. Guided by methodological commitments of cultural anthropology, this interdisciplinary study asked how being queer and Christian while using dating apps affects how queer Christians see themselves as gendered and sexual humans seeking intimate relationships. I used cultural, digital, and theological ethnographic methods to explore how queer Christians navigate the perceived conflict between being LGBTQ+ and Christian, embracing this seemingly contradictory identity while using dating apps. In this article, I offer a Foucauldian discourse analysis of ethnographic work among queer Christians including a digital ethnography of queer Christians using dating apps. This article includes my analysis of the power dynamics at work for queer Christians who have multiply-marginalizing experiences. My hope is that by surfacing some of the ways in which Christian culture and technology are intertwined, we can work towards manifesting a world where the human diversity, dignity, and security of queer Christians are honoured and protected

Ethnography · Mobile apps · Queer · Queer theory · Gender, Feminism, and Media · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access