Faith and spirituality come in many forms, and for some of Hollywood’s most talented gay actresses, belief plays a huge role in who they are. From prayer and meditation to church attendance and Buddhist practice, these women show that being LGBTQ+ and deeply spiritual can go hand in hand.
Their stories are powerful reminders that identity and faith are not opposites. Get ready to meet 16 remarkable women who live boldly in both their truth and their beliefs.
1. Niecy Nash-Betts
Niecy Nash-Betts does not just wear her faith like a Sunday outfit. She lives it every single day.
Best known for “Reno 911!” and “Claws,” she credits her Christian beliefs with guiding her through major life decisions, including her marriage to musician Jessica Betts.
She regularly shares spiritual messages on social media, encouraging fans to trust God even when life gets messy. Her openness about faith and sexuality together sends a powerful message of love and authenticity.
2. Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah grew up with a strong Baptist foundation, and that upbringing never left her. The star of “The Equalizer” has spoken openly about the power of prayer and her belief in something greater than herself guiding her career and personal choices.
Even as she stepped into her truth as a queer woman, her connection to a higher power stayed steady. For her, faith is not about rules.
It is about trust, strength, and knowing you are never alone.
3. Raven-Symone
You probably know her from “Raven’s Home,” but Raven-Symone carries a spiritual side that does not always make the headlines. She identifies as a spiritual person who feels deeply connected to the universe and a divine presence that she believes watches over her life.
Rather than labeling her beliefs rigidly, she embraces a broader sense of spirituality that feels personal and freeing. For Raven, faith is about connection, energy, and living in a way that honors something bigger than yourself.
4. Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Nixon, beloved for her role in the “Sex and the City” franchise, is an active member of an Episcopal church. She has been refreshingly open about how her religious life coexists with her identity as a queer woman, proving the two are not in conflict.
Nixon also ties her faith to social justice work, seeing her beliefs as a call to care for others. Her example challenges the idea that LGBTQ+ people must choose between their identity and their spiritual community.
5. Michaela Jae Rodriguez
Michaela Jae Rodriguez broke barriers as a star of “Pose” and became the first transgender woman to win a Golden Globe for acting. Her Catholic upbringing shaped her deeply, and she has spoken about maintaining a relationship with God even as her life transformed in remarkable ways.
Her faith is not a contradiction to who she is. Instead, it is a foundation she returns to for comfort and clarity.
Rodriguez shows that God’s love, as she experiences it, has no exceptions.
6. Chyler Leigh
Chyler Leigh, best known for playing Alex Danvers in “Supergirl,” has been candid about how her Christian faith carried her through some of the darkest chapters of her life. She credits her belief in God with giving her purpose when everything else felt uncertain.
Coming out as queer did not weaken her faith. If anything, it deepened it.
Leigh speaks with genuine warmth about how her spirituality and her identity as a lesbian have both become sources of personal strength and joy.
7. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
Academy Award-nominated for “King Richard,” Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is both a celebrated actress and a woman of deep Christian conviction. After coming out as bisexual, she did not step away from her faith.
She stepped further into it, reaffirming how much her belief shapes her daily life.
Ellis-Taylor often speaks about divine influence in her work and personal journey. Her story is a quiet but powerful example of someone who refuses to let others define what faith and identity can look like together.
8. Bella Thorne
Bella Thorne shot to fame on “Shake It Up” and has never been shy about sharing her truth, including her Christian faith. She has spoken about the role of God in her life and views prayer as a real and meaningful part of her daily routine.
Thorne sees her faith and her identity as equally essential parts of who she is. She believes that loving God and loving yourself fully are not opposites.
Her willingness to be open about both takes real courage in today’s spotlight-heavy world.
9. Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch is best known for stealing every scene in “Glee,” but her memoir “Happy Accidents” reveals a much quieter, more personal side. She writes about her spiritual evolution and her belief in a higher power that helped anchor her long-term sobriety and emotional healing.
Her faith is not tied to a specific religion but to a genuine sense of gratitude and connection to something larger than herself. For Lynch, spirituality became a lifeline, and she shares that journey with refreshing honesty and humor.
10. Josie Totah
Josie Totah, known for “Saved by the Bell” and “Other People,” publicly identifies as both transgender and Christian. That combination surprises some people, but for Josie, it makes complete sense.
She has spoken about how her faith centers on unconditional love and total acceptance.
Her relationship with God, as she describes it, is one of the most grounding forces in her life. Totah uses her platform to show younger LGBTQ+ Christians that they belong in faith communities just as much as anyone else.
11. Angelica Ross
Angelica Ross, a standout from “Pose” and a respected tech entrepreneur, practices Buddhism with real dedication. She has described Buddhist philosophy as transformative for her mental health, her resilience, and her ability to build a meaningful career despite serious obstacles.
Buddhism gave her tools, not just comfort. Concepts like mindfulness and discipline became practical guides for navigating a tough industry as a Black transgender woman.
Ross is living proof that spiritual practice can be a genuine engine for growth and self-empowerment.
12. Janelle Monae
Janelle Monae is known for bending every rule in music and film, and her spirituality follows that same creative spirit. She has spoken openly about feeling deeply connected to the universe and a divine presence that she believes flows through her art.
For Monae, creativity and spirituality are inseparable. Making music and telling stories is, in her view, a form of prayer.
Her belief that art can be sacred gives her work an emotional depth that fans around the world feel in every performance.
13. Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer has been in the spotlight since childhood, and her Christian faith has been a steady companion through all of it. The “Nope” star regularly shares Bible verses and spiritual reflections on social media, making her belief in God a very visible part of her public identity.
She views her relationship with God as her primary source of strength, especially when navigating the pressures of fame. Palmer’s faith feels less like a performance and more like a genuine conversation she keeps returning to every day.
14. Cherry Jones
Cherry Jones is one of America’s most respected stage and screen actresses, celebrated for her Tony Award wins and her work in television and film. She is openly lesbian and openly Christian, a combination she holds without apology or explanation.
Jones has described her faith as deeply personal and quietly central to how she moves through the world. Her ability to stand fully in both her identity and her spirituality makes her a quiet pioneer for LGBTQ+ Christians who are still searching for permission to do the same.
15. Bethany Brown
Canadian actress Bethany Brown, known for “A Murder in a Small Town,” grew up in a religious household and has shared how her spiritual upbringing shaped her understanding of love and identity. As she embraced her pansexual identity, her faith evolved rather than disappeared.
Her guiding mantra is beautiful in its simplicity: “If God is love, then love is God.” That single idea transformed how she sees herself. Brown’s journey is a gentle reminder that spirituality can grow alongside you, not against you.
16. Dominique Jackson
Dominique Jackson, a fierce presence on “Pose,” turns to spiritual practice to find balance in a demanding career and a world that has not always made space for her. She speaks openly about meditation and mindfulness as tools that bring her genuine inner peace.
Jackson believes that tuning into a deeper, quieter part of herself is what keeps her grounded. Her approach to spirituality is personal and practical, less about doctrine and more about daily habits that restore her sense of self and purpose.