{"title":"\"No Man's Land\": A Qualitative Exploration of Perceptions of Structural Stigma Among Bisexual Men Compared with Gay Men.","authors":"Jessie V Ford, Aarushi H Shah, Brian Dodge","doi":"10.1177/23258292251361314","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Purpose:</i></b> Recent research suggests that the benefits of minimized structural stigma experienced by gay men are not matched in bisexual men. The purpose of this study was to explore how bisexual men perceive structural stigma compared with gay men in hopes of understanding why improvements in structural stigma among sexual minority individuals may not equally benefit bisexual people. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In 2020-2021, we conducted in-depth interviews with 19 bisexual men and 40 gay men recruited from a larger longitudinal cohort study of 502 men. Interviews were conducted by phone or Zoom (camera off). The interview guides for gay and bisexual men were nearly identical, except that bisexual men were asked specifically about structural stigma related to bisexuality. All interviews were recorded digitally, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using grounded theory as an analytic strategy. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Emergent findings show that three interrelated forces complicate the relationship between structural stigma and outcomes for bisexual men: assumed heterosexuality, invisibility and erasure of bisexuality, and the blurring of interpersonal and structural stigma. In particular, bisexual men had trouble identifying structural stigma, reflecting the difficulty of fully pinning down this type of stigma. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> To understand the disparate effects of structural stigma for bisexual and gay men, we encourage scholars to take these dynamics into account. We suggest new concrete ways to measure structural stigma against bisexual people and better incorporate perspectives from bisexual men into future structural stigma research and interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":18062,"journal":{"name":"LGBT health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"LGBT health","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/23258292251361314","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose: Recent research suggests that the benefits of minimized structural stigma experienced by gay men are not matched in bisexual men. The purpose of this study was to explore how bisexual men perceive structural stigma compared with gay men in hopes of understanding why improvements in structural stigma among sexual minority individuals may not equally benefit bisexual people. Methods: In 2020-2021, we conducted in-depth interviews with 19 bisexual men and 40 gay men recruited from a larger longitudinal cohort study of 502 men. Interviews were conducted by phone or Zoom (camera off). The interview guides for gay and bisexual men were nearly identical, except that bisexual men were asked specifically about structural stigma related to bisexuality. All interviews were recorded digitally, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using grounded theory as an analytic strategy. Results: Emergent findings show that three interrelated forces complicate the relationship between structural stigma and outcomes for bisexual men: assumed heterosexuality, invisibility and erasure of bisexuality, and the blurring of interpersonal and structural stigma. In particular, bisexual men had trouble identifying structural stigma, reflecting the difficulty of fully pinning down this type of stigma. Conclusion: To understand the disparate effects of structural stigma for bisexual and gay men, we encourage scholars to take these dynamics into account. We suggest new concrete ways to measure structural stigma against bisexual people and better incorporate perspectives from bisexual men into future structural stigma research and interventions.
LGBT healthPUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH -
CiteScore
6.60
自引率
6.20%
发文量
80
期刊介绍:
LGBT Health is the premier peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting optimal healthcare for millions of sexual and gender minority persons worldwide by focusing specifically on health while maintaining sufficient breadth to encompass the full range of relevant biopsychosocial and health policy issues. This Journal aims to promote greater awareness of the health concerns particular to each sexual minority population, and to improve availability and delivery of culturally appropriate healthcare services. LGBT Health also encourages further research and increased funding in this critical but currently underserved domain. The Journal provides a much-needed authoritative source and international forum in all areas pertinent to LGBT health and healthcare services. Contributions from all continents are solicited including Asia and Africa which are currently underrepresented in sex research.