This project examines the experiences of ten Christian college students in same-sex relationships. All of the students had early experiences related to family, religious, and educational socialization, which framed the ways in which they experienced their same-sex relationships as college students. Although there were many positive outcomes of being in a same-sex relationship while in college, all of the participants described internal and external conflicts that they had to manage. The major conflicts can be described in five categories: (A) seeking family support, (B) hiding relationships, (C) seeking community acceptance, (D) deconstructing socialization, and (E) Doubting the morality of the relationship.

As participants struggled to overcome internal and external conflicts they relied on a variety of institutional and individual resources, which provided support to them as they attempted to resolve challenges with their religious, spiritual, and sexual identities. Some institutional support systems included university lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) campus centers and student organizations, supportive and well-informed counselors, and openly affirming churches. Some of the individual support systems included university student affairs staff members, close friends, wellness and stress management events, and media venues that positively portrayed non-heterosexual people.