Intersectionality and Bias: How Perceptions of Black Gay Men Change with Age

Background:

Research on aging discrimination has contributed important insights about bias toward older adults. Much of this research calls for more attention on how bias changes over the life course and how it applies to various marginalized groups. Emerging research on LGBT older adults, including older adults of color, suggests that bias contributes to negative health outcomes and discrimination in benefits, employment, and the criminal justice system. However, a gap in research exists in how these biases change depending on context and over time, especially when conflicting biases present toward persons with intersectional positionalities (e.g. Black, gay, older adults). This study investigates bias by asking: how do stereotypes about aging change for Black older gay men who also may encounter racial and sexual orientation bias?

Methods:

This pilot study collected primary data using a cross-sectional survey design. The study recruited U.S. adults (n = 143) through Amazon Mechanical Turk’s crowdsourcing platform. Participants were nearly evenly distributed between gender (52% male/48% female). Many were between 26-35-years-old (48%), but ranged from 18-75. Nearly 87% identified as heterosexual. Nearly 82% identified as white, 8% Asian, 7% Black, and 5% Latino. Monthly income was nearly evenly distributed from categories ranging from less than $500 to more than $4,500, divided in $1,000 increments.

Survey participants read one of four randomized vignettes about Calvin Smith, a Black man patronizing a gas station. All four scenarios contained identical language except for Smith’s characteristics, which differed by age and sexual orientation (gay/heterosexual; 20-years-old/70-years-old). The survey tested stereotypes about sexuality by asking participants questions about whether Smith was flirting with a female customer and male employee. It also tested how bias changes based on racial, gender, sexual orientation, and age stereotypes by asking various ranking questions about Smith’s perceived strength, activity, sociability, health, mental acuity, independence, trustworthiness, sexuality (asexual/hypersexual), and demeanor (e.g. violent/peaceful, feminine/masculine).

Results:

While participants usually rated Smith as neutral to varying degrees, participants rated Smith differently in regards to health, independence, and trustworthiness, depending on his age and sexual orientation. Using logistic regression, results were statistically significant for these categories (p = 0.05). Participants rated Smith as unhealthy when a Black, young, heterosexual man; independent when identified as a Black, young, gay man, and trustworthy when a Black, older heterosexual man, compared to other groups. Participants also rated Smith as most peaceful when labeled young and gay versus older and gay; less active when heterosexual versus gay, regardless of age; least sexual as older and gay versus older and heterosexual; least clear-headed when younger and heterosexual versus older and gay.

Conclusions and Implications:

 

The survey yielded surprising results that underscore the importance of investigating how age and sexual orientation interact with conflicting stereotypes of gender and race. Findings about perceptions of Smith’s demeanor challenge conventional stereotypes of aging, when considering these dimensions. Ultimately, this study contributes to emerging research on aging and intersectionality by bridging theories about bias in these fields and applying a new approach for studying intersectionality and how bias emerges with conflicting stereotypes.