by Wesley R. Barnhart, M.A., Ph.D. Candidate in Clinical Psychology, Bowling Green State University, and CEED Summer Research Fellow 2023

In a previous blog, we discussed how minority stress– or verbal and physical harassment based on sexual orientation, hiding or withholding one’s sexual orientation from others, and negative thoughts and feelings about oneself based on being a sexual minority (e.g., gay, lesbian, and bisexual people)– is related to disordered eating and body dissatisfaction in sexual minorities. These stressors are typically thought to be caused by people who are not sexual minorities. Can similar stressors be caused by other sexual minorities?

Negative comments, judgment, and harassment from other gay, lesbian, and bisexual people, also known as intraminority stress, can contribute to poor overall mental health in sexual minorities.¹ In a study of gay and bisexual men, some recent research helped us better understand specific forms of stress that come from within the sexual minority community.¹ Specifically, gay and bisexual men reported stress from within the sexual minority community in the form of pressures to engage in “no-frills” sex (e.g., “The mainstream gay community values sex over meaningful relationships.”). They also found that gay and bisexual men report stress that emphasizes social status (e.g., “The mainstream gay community overly values men who are wealthy.”). Other unique stressors were pressures to compete (e.g., “The mainstream gay community has a culture of competition and jealousy.”) and negative attitudes and beliefs about diversity within the gay community (e.g., “The mainstream gay community is racist.”). Gay and bisexual men who reported greater intraminority stressors also reported poorer overall mental health. The researchers were also able distinguish the impact of stress from within the community (i.e., intraminority stress) from stress outside the community (i.e., minority stress). They found that intraminority stress is a unique and powerful factor associated with negative outcomes in gay and bisexual men— beyond the impact of minority stress.

Is stress from within the community related to disordered eating and body dissatisfaction in sexual minorities? Although research in this area is new, some recent studies found that the more sexual minorities participated in lesbian-, gay-, and bisexual-related community activities, the more likely they were to report disordered eating and body dissatisfaction.^2-3 The researchers suggested that intraminority stress, or within community stress, may be a useful explanation for this association. Directly testing this idea, another recent study found that intraminority stressors, such as pressures related to sex, social status, and competition, were related to higher levels of body dissatisfaction in sexual minority men.⁴ Another specific form of intraminority stress is related to body image ideals.⁵ This specific form of stress emphasizes thin (e.g., “I have been told I should . . . lose weight.”) and muscular (e.g., “I have been criticized for my body’s level of muscularity. . .”) body image ideals. The researchers from this study also found that gay men with larger bodies reported higher levels of this intraminority stress. Because stigma both outside and within the community is connected to negative mental health outcomes, including disordered eating and body dissatisfaction, there is a need for mental health professionals and researchers to be sensitive to of all forms of stigma when working with sexual minorities.

What’s more, sexual minorities may struggle to report stigma experiences from within the community because these may be spaces where they are accepted based on their sexual orientation. In some cases, these may the only spaces where they are accepted based on their sexual orientation. Mental health providers and researchers should be thoughtful in their assessment of these within-community stigma experiences to help us better understand why these stressors overlap with higher disordered eating and body dissatisfaction. For example, could it be the case that within community stressors, such as pressures to engage in “no-frills” sex, also reinforce body image ideals given societal norms about what we define as attractive (e.g., thin/muscular bodies) and unattractive (e.g., larger, less toned bodies)? That is, sexual minorities may feel the need to change their weight and body size to attract romantic partners and fit into their community, which might encourage some to develop unhealthy, or even disordered, eating behaviors and body dissatisfaction. Because we know that numerous lived experiences of sexual minorities (e.g., gender identity, race, ethnicity, weight status, etc.) uniquely influence disordered eating and body dissatisfaction,⁶ we advocate for the reader to think about how these numerous lived experiences may also impact the experience of intraminority stress. Research that captures these numerous lived experiences is critical toward helping us develop interventions that reduce stigma and are sensitive to the needs of all sexual minorities.

References

1. Pachankis, J. E., Clark, K. A., Burton, C. L., Hughto, J. M. W., Bränström, R., & Keene, D. E. (2020). Sex, status, competition, and exclusion: Intraminority stress from within the gay community and gay and bisexual men’s mental health. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 119(3), 713–740. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000282
2. Convertino, A. D., Brady, J. P., Albright, C. A., Gonzales, M., 4th, & Blashill, A. J. (2021). The role of sexual minority stress and community involvement on disordered eating, dysmorphic concerns and appearance- and performance-enhancing drug misuse. Body Image, 36, 53–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.10.006
3. Convertino, A. D., Helm, J. L., Pennesi, J. L., Gonzales, M., 4th, & Blashill, A. J. (2021). Integrating minority stress theory and the tripartite influence model: A model of eating disordered behavior in sexual minority young adults. Appetite, 163, 105204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105204
4. Soulliard, Z., Lattanner, M., & Pachankis, J. (2023). Pressure from within: Gay-community stress and body dissatisfaction among sexual-minority men. Clinical Psychological Science. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/216770262311867
5. Shepherd, B. F., Maki, J. L., Zelaya, D. G., Warner, S., Wilson, A., & Brochu, P. M. (2023). Development and validation of the gay-specific intraminority stigma inventory (G-SISI): Initial evidence underpinned by intraminority stress theory. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 13(1), 170-186. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe13010013
6. Morrison, T. G., Katz, J. W., Mirzaei, Y., & Zare, S. (2020). Body image and eating disorders among sexual and gender minority populations. In E. D. Rothblum (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of sexual and gender minority mental health (pp. 73–85). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190067991.013.8