Adaptation to sexual orientation stigma: A comparison of bisexual and lesbian/gay adults.

TLDR

This study examines how bisexual adults differ from lesbian/gay adults in adapting to sexual orientation stigma. The authors assessed self‑disclosure, community connection, and four identity‑related variables (internalized homonegativity, stigma sensitivity, identity confusion, identity superiority) in 613 community‑based sexual minority adults. Bisexual participants reported higher identity confusion and lower self‑disclosure and community connection, yet the six variables predicted psychosocial functioning similarly across bisexual and lesbian/gay groups.

Abstract

This study extends research on dimensions of sexual minority experience by examining differences between bisexual and lesbian/gay adults in adaptation to sexual orientation stigma. The authors investigated sexual orientation self-disclosure, connection to community, and 4 identity-related variables (internalized homonegativity, stigma sensitivity, identity confusion, and identity superiority) in a community sample of 613 lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. Sexual orientation effects were found on 3 of these 6 variables: Bisexual participants reported higher levels of identity confusion and lower levels of both self-disclosure and community connection relative to their lesbian/gay peers. Taken together, the 6 variables predicted indicators of psychosocial functioning. Associations among the 6 dimensions of sexual minority experience and psychosocial functioning did not differ for bisexual and lesbian/gay participants.