https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3777-8233
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Abstract
Heterosexism is not only expressed through sexual prejudice as an external stressor, but also as an internalized rejection toward one’s own (and others’) sexually diverse identity. That is, lesbian women and gay men themselves internalize negative societal attitudes toward their sexual orientation and identity—a phenomenon called internalized homonegativity. A wealth of research shows that internalized homonegativity negatively affects the health and social adjustment of gay and lesbian people. However, the literature has documented this trend from an individual (over a dyadic) perspective, and largely among gay (over lesbian) samples. To address this oversight, we analyzed data from 210 gay and lesbian couples in Chile to examine both actor and partner effects of internalized homonegativity on their sexual satisfaction. Results from moderation analyses from an actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) approach show that partners’ internalized homonegativity negatively affects actor sexual satisfaction, a pattern significantly moderated by gender; that is, only observed among lesbian couples. Our results further demonstrated that these effects hold above and beyond the actor and partner effects of age and relationship satisfaction, as well as relationship length. These results are consistent with the broader literature, which discusses the specific features of internalized homonegativity in lesbian women, characterized—among other aspects—by restrictive social demands over their sexuality. Accordingly, our findings highlight the deleterious relational consequences of internalized homonegativity and offer a relevant empirical contribution to the understanding of specific minority stress dynamics among lesbian women.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Data availability statement
The data used in the paper are part of a broader project with public funding. For privacy and anonymity concerns, the full data are only available to the research team. A deidentified dataset containing the variables analyzed in this article is available upon request from Mónica Guzmán at [email protected], or the first author of this manuscript, for scientific purposes only.
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Notes on contributors
Joaquín Bahamondes
Joaquín Bahamondes is an assistant professor in the School of Psychology at the Universidad Católica del Norte, Chile, who focuses on how social status, experiences of discrimination and ideology shape people’s well-being and perceptions of injustice.
Jaime Barrientos
Jaime Barrientos is a full professor in the school of Psychology at the Universidad Alberto Hurtado who focuses on gender and sexuality issues, mental health and quality of life, with an emphasis on sexual minority wellbeing.
Mónica Guzmán-González
Mónica Guzmán-González is a full professor in the School of Psychology at the Universidad Católica del Norte, and focuses on adult attachment and relationship quality in romantic relationships.
Lusmenia Garrido-Rojas
Lusmenia Garrido-Rojas is an associate professor in the School of Psychology at the Universidad Católica del Maule, focusing on adult attachment, emotional regulation and depression.
Fabiola Gómez
Fabiola Gómez is a postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Psychology at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, focusing on intergroup contact, sexual prejudice and sexual minority mental health.
Ricardo Espinoza-Tapia
Ricardo Espinoza-Tapia is an associate professor in the school of Psychology at the Universidad Católica del Norte, focusing on critical studies of childhood and youth, sexual and gender diversity issues, gender violence and masculinities.