Abstract
There is a dearth of research about Latinx LGBTQ + youth’s experiences with family belonging. To address this gap in the literature, this phenomenological study explored the experiences of eight Latinx LGBTQ + youth as they relate to belonging within a familial context. Five themes were identified: (a) definitions of belonging and the importance of belonging to family, (b) family rejection/fear of rejection, (c) culture of queer invisibility, (d) divergent experiences among non-parental family members, and (e) resilience. This article presents the themes as they relate to Latinx LGBTQ + young people’s experiences of family belonging and discusses implications for future research and practice.
Acknowledgements
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the participants for sharing their experiences with us. We are also indebted to the LGBTQ + and Latinx-serving organizations who assisted with participant recruitment.
Disclosure statement
We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Notes
1 The authors chose to use the term Latinx throughout this paper to be inclusive of non-binary gender identities and embrace the diversity of the Latinx community, which encompasses individuals from Latin America and the diaspora across racial groups and nationalities.