Is Internalized Homonegativity Related to Body Image?

Abstract

The authors examined relationships among internalized homonegativity, body image, eating disturbance, and self‐esteem of gay men. Internalized homonegativity is believed to be experienced by all gay men and is tied to self‐esteem, which is a factor in the etiology of eating disorders and body image disturbance. It was hypothesized that internalized homonegativity would predict body image, self‐esteem, and eating disturbance. A total of 213 gay men participated in an online survey that used established measures. Results showed that specific components of internalized homonegativity predict body image, self‐esteem, and bulimic behaviors. Findings imply that internalized homonegativity is a viable link for assessing body image and self‐esteem among gay men. This study adds new dimension to the literature by linking internalized homonegativity with body image and by demonstrating a specific component of internalized homonegativity as predicting the variables tested. Future research and limitations are discussed.