(Hyper) Masculinity

Out in Time ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 107-128
Author(s):  
Perry N. Halkitis
Keyword(s):  
Social Behavior ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sexual Minority Men ◽  
Sexual Roles ◽  
Minority Men ◽  
American Society

The identity development of gay men, their coming out, and their well-being is influenced by hypermasculinity, which permeates American society. Such conceptions of masculinity foster aggressiveness of men toward women and sexual minority men in the form of homophobia and homonegativity. Many gay men also adopt hypermasculine conceptions defining their manliness by social behavior, sexual prowess, and muscularity, a condition fueled by the heterosexism of American society. Gay men who espouse hegemonic masculinity often do so as a means of passing and covering—they stereotype sexual roles and diminish those within the population who do not adhere to these rigid gender norms. While this is evident across generations, the Queer Generation has been most vociferous in challenging the rigidity of hypermasculinity and expressing greater ease and comfort in adapting traditionally feminine attributes, representations, and behaviors. As a result a more inclusive and advanced conception of what it means to be a man is evidenced in younger gay men.

scholarly journals LGBTQ Health and Well-Being in China: A Trend Analysis of English- and Chinese-Language Research, 2011–2018

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Lin ◽  
Yijun Cheng ◽  
Tonda L. Hughes ◽  
Cindy Veldhuis
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
English Language ◽  
Chinese Language ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sexual Minority Women ◽  
Sexual Minority Men ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Minority Men

Purpose: Research on LGBTQ populations has dramatically increased in both Western and non-Western countries over the past several decades. Attempts to synthesize this research have largely focused on studies conducted in the West. We conducted a review of LGBTQ research in China to elucidate trends and gaps in the literature and to provide a foundation for future research. Methods: We searched the literature to identify studies that focused on LGBTQ people in China using PsycINFO and reviews of article titles and abstracts in 15 English-language LGBTQ-specific journals published between 2011–2018. We used the Wanfang database to identify Chinese-language LGBTQ research articles published in any journal between 2011–2018. Each article was coded by topic, study type, province, and sample. Results: These searches yielded 798 LGBTQ research studies conducted in China between 2011–2018. HIV/AIDS, sexuality, and LGBTQ-specific issues (e.g., coming out) have been most frequently studied. Most of the articles focused on sexual minority men (69.5%), with smaller proportions focused on sexual minority women (15.5%) or transgender individuals (2.6%). The disparity wasreduced after excluding studies on HIV or other sexually transmitted infections. The geographic distribution of studies was uneven; most were conducted in economically developed areas. Conclusion: This study identified gaps and trends in LGBTQ research in China and highlighted priority and under-researched topics to guide future LGBTQ research. More research on these understudied populations and topics will contribute to understanding of LGBTQ populations.

Out in Time

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perry N. Halkitis
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Sexual Identity ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Generational Differences ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Sexual Identity Development ◽  
Three Generations ◽  
American Society

The life experiences and sexual identity development of three generations of gay men, the Stonewall, AIDS, and Queer generations, are explored. While there are generational differences in the lived experiences of young gay men shaped by the sociopolitical contexts of the historical epoch in which they emerged into adulthood, and a crisis that has come to define each generation, there also are consistencies across generations and across time in the psychological process of coming out that defines identity formation of gay men, as these individuals transition from a period of sexual identity awareness to sexual identity integration. The life experiences are also shaped by conceptions of hypermasculinity, racism and discrimination, substance use, and adventurous sexuality. Despite the many challenges that have defined the lives of gay men across time and that are informed by the homophobia of American society, the vast majority of the population also has demonstrated resilience and fortitude in achieving both pride and dignity. These ideas are explored through the life narratives of fifteen diverse gay men, across the three generations.

scholarly journals Venturing beyond the “Behavioural MSM”: Sex, Chems, & Satisfaction in their Syndemic Contexts

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Testing ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Sexual Behaviour ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Steady Partner ◽  
Sexual Minority Men ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Minority Men

BACKGROUND: The health and well-being of those sexual-minority men who are often behaviourally defined as men who have sex with men (MSM) is affected by a system of interlinked factors that interact on the structural, interpersonal, and individual levels. Recently, two of the most common MSM health issues have been (a) the risks of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), mostly HIV, and (b) the sexualized use of addictive substances, known as chemsex. AIMS: On the basis of the first comprehensive Czech dataset to integrate several mutually interlinked factors on the behavioural, as well as the psychological and structural domains, we attempt to shed light on the barriers to HIV testing and adherence to safer sex practices, including the most thorough description of the chemsex phenomenon that is available. We aim to go beyond the behavioural perspective and draw links to the well-being and satisfaction of this sexual minority and their sex lives. METHODS: A series of descriptive statistical analyses was conducted on a sample of 547 respondents obtained within a self-administered online survey. RESULTS: More than half of our respondents (55%) and three-quarters (72%) of the men younger than 25 years have never been tested for HIV. One-third of the respondents considered testing services to be insufficiently friendly to gay, bisexual, or other men, and they also reported stigmatization and discrimination by healthcare workers as a problem that exists. 84% of the MSM have experience with anal sex; 43% of them always use condoms. Of all the respondents, nearly 6% have had at least one chemsex experience during their life. Only 46% of the MSM reported being satisfied with their sex lives; 52% of those who were dissatisfied attributed this to “not having a steady partner” and 49% to “not having any sex”. CONCLUSION: The sexual behaviour of MSM and their experience with HIV testing, chemsex, perceived stigma, and satisfaction with their sex lives are among the phenomena that deserve to be more regularly covered by relevant epidemiological examinations. Although our current analysis was more exploratory than in-depth, it may contribute to a better understanding of the syndemic and multifactorial conditions that influence the sexual behaviour of MSM, including the minority stress that may be rooted in deficiencies in our understanding of these populations.

scholarly journals Factors Influencing Depression and Anxiety among Black Sexual Minority Men

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis F. Graham ◽  
Robert E. Aronson ◽  
Tracy Nichols ◽  
Charles F. Stephens ◽  
Scott D. Rhodes
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Sexual Identity ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Stepwise Multiple Regression ◽  
Internalized Homonegativity ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sexual Minority Men ◽  
Minority Men

The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationships between depression and anxiety, and ethnic and sexual identity development, and discrimination and harassment (DH) among Black sexual minority men. Additional aims were to determine whether an interaction effect existed between ethnic and sexual identity and whether coping skills level moderated these relationships. Using an observational cross-sectional design, 54 participants recruited through snowball sampling completed self-administered online surveys. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used. Sixty-four percent of the variance in depression scores and 53% of the variance in anxiety scores were explained by DH and internalized homonegativity together. Thirty percent of the sample had scale scores indicating likelihood of depression and anxiety. Experience of DH and internalized homonegativity explained a large portion of the variability in depression and anxiety among Black sexual minority men. The study showed high prevalence of mental distress among this sample.

Immune compromization and disparities in cancer type among sexual minority men.

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e16564-e16564
Author(s):  
Charles Kamen ◽  
Arianna Aldridge Gerry ◽  
Michael A. Andrykowski ◽  
Oxana Palesh
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Minority Status ◽  
Sexual Minority Men ◽  
Lifetime History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Minority Men ◽  
History Of Cancer

e16564 Background: Self-identified gay men are at higher risk for contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections than their heterosexual counterparts. Gay men are also at higher risk for reporting a lifetime history of cancer diagnoses. While certain types of cancers, specifically Kaposi sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, are more common among gay and sexual minority men, it is yet unclear to what extent this disparity is due to immune compromization or comorbid infection with HIV. Methods: The current study utilized data from 173 gay and 5544 heterosexual men collected as part of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey conducted in 2009 in California. Items assessed lifetime history of cancer diagnosis, type of cancer, sexual minority status, and presence of a weakened immune system resulting from diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Chi-square tests were used to examine differences in rates and types of cancer diagnoses by sexual minority status. Logistic regression was then used to examine risk for reporting a lifetime history of cancer based on sexual minority status and accounting for a weakened immune system. Results: In this sample, rates of cancer diagnoses differed significantly between gay and heterosexual men, with gay men more likely to report diagnoses of cancer (χ2 = 4.53, p < 0.05, OR = 1.53). In addition, types of cancer diagnoses reported differed significantly between gay and heterosexual men, with gay men more likely to report diagnoses of oral cancer (1.2% vs. 0.1%; χ2 = 23.31, p < 0.001); testicular cancer (1.2% vs. 0.1%; χ2 = 9.84, p < 0.01); and “other” cancers (1.7% vs. 0.3%; χ2 = 9.11, p < 0.01). Notably, this disparity in cancer diagnoses persisted even when controlling for a weakened immune system (χ2 = 3.95, p < 0.05; OR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.03 to 3.15). Conclusions: Immune system compromization accounts for some of the disparity noted between gay and heterosexual men in rates of cancer diagnoses; however, other risk factors may be implicated. Cancer screening rates for gay men should be increased, and screening physicians should specifically assess for risk factors in gay men.

scholarly journals Community norms of the Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory (MDDI) among cisgender sexual minority men and women

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason M. Nagata ◽  
Emilio J. Compte ◽  
Chloe J. Cattle ◽  
Jason M. Lavender ◽  
Tiffany A. Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gay Men ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Muscle Dysmorphia ◽  
Minority Populations ◽  
Lesbian Women ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Sexual Minority Men ◽  
Community Norms ◽  
Minority Men ◽  
And Bisexual

Abstract Background Representing the pathological extreme pursuit of muscularity, muscle dysmorphia (MD) is characterized by a pervasive belief or fear around insufficient muscularity and an elevated drive for muscularity. Despite evidence of elevated body image-related concerns among sexual minority populations, little is known about the degree of muscle dysmorphia (MD) symptoms among sexual minorities, particularly based on Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory (MDDI) scores. The objective of this study was to examine the nature and severity of MD symptoms in cisgender sexual minority men and women and provide community norms of the MDDI for these populations. Methods Data from participants in The PRIDE Study, an existing study of health outcomes in sexual and gender minority people from the United States, were examined. Participants included cisgender gay men (N = 1090), cisgender bisexual plus (bisexual, pansexual, and/or polysexual) men (N = 100), cisgender lesbian women (N = 563), and cisgender bisexual plus women (N = 507). We calculated means, standard deviations (SD), and percentiles for the MDDI total and subscale scores for cisgender sexual minority men and women. We compared MDDI scores by sexual orientation using linear regression models, both unadjusted and adjusted for sociodemographics. Results Overall, the sample was 85.2% White, 3.0% Asian or Pacific Islander, 2.0% Black, 0.5% Native American, 3.9% multiracial, and 6.6% Hispanic/Latino/a. The mean age was 38.6 (SD = 14.3) and 69.4% had a college degree or higher. Means (SD) for the MDDI total score were 27.4 (7.7) for cisgender gay men, 26.4 (6.4) for cisgender bisexual plus men, 24.3 (6.1) for cisgender lesbian women, and 24.6 (5.5) for cisgender bisexual plus women. There were no significant differences in MDDI scores between cisgender gay and bisexual plus men, or between cisgender lesbian women and bisexual plus women in unadjusted or adjusted models. Conclusions These normative data provide insights into the experience of MD symptoms among cisgender sexual minority men and women and can aid researchers and clinicians in the evaluation of MD symptoms and interpretation of MDDI scores in sexual minority populations.

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