Assessing and understanding body image and body satisfaction in gay and bisexual men through objectification theory

Abstract

Body dissatisfaction and the prevalence of Objectification Theory are researched and often discussed in terms of cisgender women. Research that mentions body image in the gay and bisexual community concludes that there is either a small percentage of gay and bisexual men that experience body dissatisfaction or that gay and bisexual men have higher rates of body satisfaction than cisgender women. This study, firstly, aims to assess body image and satisfaction in the understudied gay community. Then, it aims to develop an understanding of gay men’s narratives of body image and body dissatisfaction. Using a unique survey composed of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scale (MBSRQ-AS) and the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS), a total of 387 surveys, including 158 cisgender women and 179 gay and bisexual men, were collected. Upon initial observation, gay and bisexual men have greater body satisfaction than cisgender women. However, when grouped by age, gay and bisexual men aged 16-25 have a higher body dissatisfaction than cisgender women and have higher body dissatisfaction than the other age groups of gay and bisexual men. These results start the conversations that experiences that are considered traditionally feminine can affect masculine individuals.