2007/04/11 by Theo G. M. Sandfort, Theo Sandfort, Rita M. Melendez +2 · 3 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy #Gender Roles and Identity Studies #Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
paper · doi:10.1080/00224490701263819
This study explored whether gender nonconformity in gay and bisexual men is related to mental distress and if so, whether this relationship is mediated by negative experiences that are likely associated with gender nonconformity, including abuse and harassment. To study this question, data were analyzed from face-to face interviews with 912 self-identified gay and bisexual Latino men in three major U.S. cities collected by Diaz and colleagues (2001 Diaz , R. M. , Ayala , G. , Bein , E. , Henne , J. , & Marin , B. V. ( 2001 ). The impact of homophobia, poverty, and racism on the mental health of gay and bisexual Latino men: Findings from 3 US cities . American Journal of Public Health , 91 , 927 – 932 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Gay and bisexual Latino men who considered themselves to be effeminate had higher levels of mental distress and more frequently reported various negative experiences, compared with gay and bisexual Latino men who did not identify as effeminate. Higher levels of mental distress in effeminate men seemed to primarily result from more experiences of homophobia. Findings suggest the need for more attention to gender in research as well as counseling of sexual minority men.