The Intersection of Sociocultural Factors and Health-Related Behavior in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth: Experiences Among Young Black Gay Males as an Example

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Key points

  • Young black gay and bisexual men (YBGBM) experience multiple inequities compared with their majority peers by virtue of their membership in multiple oppressed and marginalized groups.

  • Intersectionality suggests that multiple social identities intersect at the individual or micro level of experience and reflects larger social–structural inequities experienced on the macro level.

  • Intersecting identities predispose YBGBM to adverse health outcomes and health inequality, which are further modified by

Background

Intersectionality is a theoretic framework that suggests that multiple social identities—for example, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation—intersect at the individual or micro level of experience and reflects larger social–structural inequities experienced on the macro level.1, 2 This article uses an intersectionality framework to describe how multiple stigmatized social identities can create unique challenges for young black gay and bisexual men (YBGBM) as an example.

Adolescence is

Racial and sexual identities

One of the key tasks of adolescence is identity development,8 a stage where adolescents and emerging adults come to understand the specific ways in which they fit into society. This task involves developing one’s self-concept, which includes both personal identity or perception of self8 and group identities—that is, membership and identification with a group of people with shared characteristics salient to an individual’s self-concept.9 Racial or ethnic identity, for example, is a group

Masculinity

Normative and dominant masculinity in American culture has been described as antifeminine, homophobic, heterosexist, and misogynistic.26 Some have suggested that stereotypical male gender roles of hypermasculinity (ie, exaggeration of traditional masculine roles through behaviors such as sexual prowess, physical dominance, aggression, competition, and antifemininity) seen in some black men may be a way for black men disempowered by a social context of limited access to socioeconomic power,

Summary and recommendations

We have used an intersectionality framework to describe how occupying multiple stigmatized social identities can create unique challenges for YBGBM as an example. Such intersection can predispose YBGBM to risk and poor health outcomes. Young black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men must achieve the tasks of adolescence at the intersection of multiple social categories such as race, socioeconomic status, gender (and gender expression), religion, and sexuality. This experience is

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    R.A. Sanders disclosed that she was funded by NICHD K23 HD074470 award.

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