Beyond “Not My Type”: A Quantitative Examination of Intraminority Stigma Among Gay Men Who Use Dating Apps

Abstract

Gay men with intersecting diverse identities are at increased risk for experiencing intraminority stigma (i.e., negative attitudes or discrimination from the gay community based on a socially undervalued identity or trait). The use of dating apps is pervasive among gay men and becoming more common during the ongoing, global COVID-19 pandemic, representing a potential site for intraminority stigma. In this study, the association between online dating and experiences of stigma within the gay community was examined utilizing an international sample of 2,159 gay men through the lens of intraminority gay community stress theory. Participants reported how frequently they experienced stigma from other gay men based on age, socioeconomic status, nonconformity to popular gay culture (i.e., hobbies, beliefs, or ideologies perceived as typical of gay men), race/ethnicity, gender expression, and body size and shape. Approximately 60% of the sample used dating apps/websites every month or more frequently. More frequent dating app use was associated with more frequent experiences of intraminority stress across the constructs of age stigma, socioeconomic stigma, racial/ethnic stigma, and body stigma but not gay nonconformity stigma or gender expression stigma. More frequent dating app use was associated with more intraminority racial/ethnic stigma among gay men of color relative to White gay men and more intraminority age stigma among older gay men relative to younger gay men. Findings provide empirical and contextual evidence for multiple forms of intraminority stigma, paving the way for future intersectional research focused on the social, psychological, and physical well-being of multiply marginalized gay men.

Public Significance Statement

This study shows that the use of dating apps and websites is common among gay men of varying backgrounds, especially younger and less wealthy gay men, and that gay men who used these services more frequently were more likely to experience stigma from other gay men based on age, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and body size and shape. Furthermore, findings suggest older gay men and gay men of color are especially likely to experience identity-based stigma from other gay men while using dating apps/websites.