LGBTQ+ Families and Their Religiosity/Spirituality: A Scoping Review

Research has primarily focused on the conflicts between non-heterosexual and religious identities and resulting negative psychosocial outcomes. Yet holistic approaches to optimal psychosocial development and well-being include the integration of spirituality, which may or may not involve interactions with traditional religious institutions, many of which have historically stigmatized and marginalized Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) individuals and families. We located and summarized extant research findings from 2015–2025 on LGBTQ+ families’ relationships with religion and spirituality (R/S), including their adoption of positive R/S beliefs and practices. Using PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a search of three databases in September, 2025. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria (N = 22) sampled Mixed-Orientation Marriages (MOM; n = 11) and LGBTQ+ families (n = 11). Two themes characterizing the MOM studies were the perceived socioreligious scripts that influenced relationship establishment and maintenance and the dilemmas and outcomes of identity disclosure and concealment. Two themes characterizing the LGBTQ+ identified studies were the integration or rejection of R/S values into family life and parents’ perceptions of support or rejection from religious communities. Future research recommendations include “queering” the definition of family and using R/S frameworks to test hypotheses about potentially beneficial R/S processes across the family life cycle.