Intersectional minority stress disparities among sexual minority adults in the USA: the role of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status

Abstract

Few studies have examined the intersection of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status on the experience of minority stressors among sexual minority adults. We examined whether there are differences in reports of minority stressors by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status, and whether socioeconomic status moderates the associations between race/ethnicity and minority stressors. We analysed data from Project Stride, a community-based sample of 396 self-identified lesbian, gay and bisexual adults in New York City. We conducted a hierarchical multiple regression analysis to examine the associations between race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status on minority stressors. In adjusted models, African American and Latino sexual minority adults experienced greater anticipated stigma relative to their white counterparts. Socioeconomic status significantly moderated the association of race/ethnicity and enacted stigma. For African Americans, higher socioeconomic status was associated with more enacted stigma, whereas higher socioeconomic status was associated with reduced enacted stigma among whites. Minority stress processes are likely to operate differently for sexual minority people of colour compared with white sexual minority people, and for higher-socioeconomic status versus lower-socioeconomic status sexual minority people. Future research should consider the intersectional axes of identity that contribute to enacted stigma and disparities in mental and physical health, especially for US African American sexual minority adults.