Civic Engagement, Religion, and Health: Older Black Lesbians in the Social Justice Sexuality (SJS) Survey

Intersections of age, race, gender, sexuality, and aging keep older, black lesbians hidden from public consciousness and from researchers. While previous research has documented a relationship between religion, civic engagement, and health for black women, there is little known about these for older black lesbians. This paper offers a quantitative analysis of the relationship between religion, health, and civic engagement for a sample (N=149) of older (fifty years and above) black lesbians. The sample is drawn from the Social Justice Sexuality (SJS) data set. Findings indicate that the variables measuring religious and/or spirituality expression had no impact on perceived overall health, nor did the overall measure of civic engagement; yet a specific portion—participating in civic activities—did have a significant, positive effect on overall self-reported health.