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Schedule:
Thursday, January 11, 2024
Independence BR G, ML 4 (Marriott Marquis Washington DC)
* noted as presenting author
Background and Purpose: Racialized Sexual Discrimination (RSD), also known as ‘sexual racism,’ is widely reported among sexual minority men of color who seek partners online. RSD is associated with poor mental health outcomes among young sexual minority Black men (YSMBM), and there is limited research on factors that may mitigate this association. Ethnic identity has been identified as a potential protective factor for racial/ethnic minorities who encounter racialized stressors, though some evidence suggests that ethnic identity may also intensify the negative effects of racial discrimination.
Methods: Using data from a cross-sectional web-survey of YSMBM (N = 690), a series of linear regression models were estimated to examine the moderating effect of ethnic identity on the relationship between RSD and psychological well-being. Three RSD subscales (White superiority, White physical objectification, and same-race rejection) were regressed on two indicators of psychological well-being (depressive symptoms and feelings of self-worth). Two dimensions of ethnic identity were examined as moderators: (1) ethnic identity commitment (i.e., individuals’ sense of belonging to their ethnic group, as well as how they appraise the value of belonging to their ethnic group) and (2) ethnic identity search (i.e., the effort that individuals expend in learning about, and making meaning of, their ethnic group membership).
Results: All RSD subscales were associated with higher scores on depressive symptoms, and White physical objectification was associated with lower feelings of self-worth. Having moderate-to-high scores on identity commitment attenuated the association between being physically objectified by White men and higher depressive symptoms. However, having high scores on identity commitment intensified the association between being rejected by Black men and lower feelings of self-worth. No significant moderating effect was observed for ethnic identity search.
Conclusions and Implications: Stronger identity commitment may be protective against objectification from White men, though it may also exacerbate negative outcomes related to in-group discrimination. Crucially, the ways in which identity serves to buffer or exacerbate the effects of identity-related stress may be contingent upon the specific nature of the stressor, as well as the source of that stress. It may be critical for clinicians who work with YSMBM to engage, affirm, and leverage ethnic belonging in facing objectification and other forms of discrimination from White men. YSMBM with high ethnic identity commitment may require support in grappling with same-race rejection while maintaining the overall benefits of ethnic identity commitment. Critical consciousness interventions, which support participants in understanding and opposing oppressive forces, may help them to understand interpersonal discrimination in terms of broader structures of White supremacy.
Methods: Using data from a cross-sectional web-survey of YSMBM (N = 690), a series of linear regression models were estimated to examine the moderating effect of ethnic identity on the relationship between RSD and psychological well-being. Three RSD subscales (White superiority, White physical objectification, and same-race rejection) were regressed on two indicators of psychological well-being (depressive symptoms and feelings of self-worth). Two dimensions of ethnic identity were examined as moderators: (1) ethnic identity commitment (i.e., individuals’ sense of belonging to their ethnic group, as well as how they appraise the value of belonging to their ethnic group) and (2) ethnic identity search (i.e., the effort that individuals expend in learning about, and making meaning of, their ethnic group membership).
Results: All RSD subscales were associated with higher scores on depressive symptoms, and White physical objectification was associated with lower feelings of self-worth. Having moderate-to-high scores on identity commitment attenuated the association between being physically objectified by White men and higher depressive symptoms. However, having high scores on identity commitment intensified the association between being rejected by Black men and lower feelings of self-worth. No significant moderating effect was observed for ethnic identity search.
Conclusions and Implications: Stronger identity commitment may be protective against objectification from White men, though it may also exacerbate negative outcomes related to in-group discrimination. Crucially, the ways in which identity serves to buffer or exacerbate the effects of identity-related stress may be contingent upon the specific nature of the stressor, as well as the source of that stress. It may be critical for clinicians who work with YSMBM to engage, affirm, and leverage ethnic belonging in facing objectification and other forms of discrimination from White men. YSMBM with high ethnic identity commitment may require support in grappling with same-race rejection while maintaining the overall benefits of ethnic identity commitment. Critical consciousness interventions, which support participants in understanding and opposing oppressive forces, may help them to understand interpersonal discrimination in terms of broader structures of White supremacy.