Abstract

Lesbians, gay men and bisexuals (LGB) represent a sexual minority, and like other minorities, they are often treated with much disdain and discrimination, which may lead to "minority stress", a term first coined by Meyer (1995). The term "minority stress" is used to describe the excess stress that individuals from stigmatized social categories experience due to their social position as a minority.

Theoretical and empirical research (DiPlacido, 1998; Meyer, 2003) suggests that several variables mediate the relationship between LGB minority stress and psychological adjustment: internalized homophobia, sexual orientation concealment and social support. Because these variables influence psychological functioning, such as affect regulation and coping responses, they may also play a significant role in attitudes and behaviors about eating and body image.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the role of internalized homophobia, level of sexual orientation concealment, and social support in eating disordered behaviors and body image disturbances among LGB samples. Participants were individuals 18 years and older identifying as LGB and were recruited through Email list-servs and Internet postings on LGB-affiliated web sites. The mean age of participants was 29.7 years (SD = 11.5). Seventy-nine percent identified as Euro-American, 9.5% were Latino/Latina, 6.2% were Asian American, 2.4% were African-American, 2.2% were Native American, and .7% were of mixed ethnicities.

The Kinsey Sexual Orientation Scale, Eating Attitudes Test, Questionnaire for Eating Disorders Diagnosis, Body Esteem Scale, Drive for Muscularity Scale, Internalized Homophobia Scale, Lesbian Internalized Homophobia Scale, Outness Inventory, and Social Provisions Scale were administered electronically. The sample included 135 women and 131 men. Multiple regression analyses revealed that: internalized homophobia in males is associated with low body esteem; sexual orientation concealment mediates the relationship between internalized homophobia and social support among female participants; social support is the most salient factor in disordered eating among male and female participants; and males do not experience significantly greater feelings of IH than females. The implications of these findings on the psychology of LGB individuals and the prevention and treatment of eating disorders are discussed.