Sexual Racism on Geosocial Networking Applications and Identity Outness Among Sexual Minority Men in the US

Bibliographic Data

ID3633508
AuthorsJunye Ma (0000-0002-1353-1279, San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California, USA, corresponding author), Dafna Paltin (0000-0001-7632-4464, San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California, USA), Michael Miller-Perusse (0000-0002-5588-7011, San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California, USA), Ashley Black (Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute), Jason V Baker (0000-0002-5542-1545, Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute), Keith J Horvath (0000-0001-7569-2839, San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California, USA)
Year2025
Volume72
Issue2
Pages228-244
Publication date2025-01-28
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Homosexuality (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0091-8369 • E-ISSN: 1540-3602
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00918369.2024.2319621
PMID38377340
OpenAlexW4391958733
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited61

Although the use of geosocial networking (GSN) applications for relationship seeking is prevalent among sexual minority men (SMM), SMM of color may be vulnerable to sexual racism online. Little is known about how sexual racism relates to SMM of color's identity outness, which is integral to the minority stress model and the focus of this study. Eighty SMM, recruited through social media (53.7% racial/ethnic minority), reported their experiences of race-based discrimination on GSN apps and identity outness. Chi-squared and Fisher's tests examined differences in race-based discrimination online by participants' race/ethnicity. A factorial MANOVA was performed on outness to family, peers, and healthcare providers. Nearly one-third of participants experienced race-based discrimination online. Higher percentages of SMM of color experienced race-based discrimination than White SMM. SMM who experienced race-based discrimination online reported lower outness to family than those who had not. Post-hoc analyses revealed that Asian SMM reported consistently lower outness than other groups. Our findings resonated with the mediation framework of minority stress, suggesting that sexual racism online may be a distal stressor that contributes to the group-specific process of identity outness. This also illustrated the importance of addressing sexual racism on GSN apps to buffer existing stress with outness among SMM of color

Ethnic group · Human sexuality · Identity (music · Minority stress · Race (biology · Racism · Sexual identity · Sexual minority · Sexual orientation · Sociology · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Gender Studies · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Psychology · Social Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges

Tools

Open DOI