Stigma visibility and health outcomes among lesbians and gay men

The visible nature of stigmatized identities may shape processes related to stress, coping, and health outcomes. This study explored how stigma visiblility may explain health disparities among gay men and lesbians, specifically. Participants were recruited from advocacy organizations and online resources (N = 1,627 gay men; N = 848 lesbians) and completed an online survey. Stigma visibility primarily operated through experiences of discrimination to affect mental and physical health, albeit in both negative and positive ways. Experiences of discrimination predicted increases in the internalization of stigma and lowered sense of control, harming health outcomes. Experiences of discrimination also increased social identification with similarly stigmatized others, which improved health outcomes. Research identifying factors that put certain minority group members at risk for worse health outcomes relative to other members is vital to addressing health disparities; the visibility of a stigmatized identity appears to be one such risk factor.