Too Manly and Too Straight? Perceived Sexual Orientation of Black and White Men and Women

ABSTRACT

Using data from an online survey assessing perceptions of 12 target¹ photos of Black and White males² and females, the current study examined a moderated mediation model of sexual orientation perceptions (N = 310). Results indicated that perceived masculinity/femininity was not a mediator in the association between target gender and perceived sexual orientation. Black male targets were perceived to be more heterosexual than White male targets, Black female targets were perceived as less heterosexual than White female targets, and Black targets were perceived as more masculine than White targets. These findings may indicate rigid gender- and sexuality-related expectations for Black men. Black women who are perceived as gay may be more at risk of related interpersonal harm than White women. Black sexual minority individuals may face challenges in navigating identity concealment or disclosure. Future research should explore the potential antecedents and consequences of perceptions of Black individuals’ sexual orientation.

KEYWORDS:

• Person perception
• race/ethnicity
• sexual orientation
• intersectionality
• gender
• sexual minorities
• masculinity/femininity

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by research funds from Ursinus College awarded to the principal investigator (Vanessa V. Volpe). Authors do not report any other disclosures or competing financial interests.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the second author upon reasonable request via email ([email protected]).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

¹. In line with related social psychology research, we used the word target to refer to individuals displayed or described within experimental stimuli (e.g., photos, videos, audio recordings). In the current study, targets are individuals displayed in standardized photos.

². When used to describe targets throughout this article, “male” and “female” refer to the gender of the person displayed or described within the experimental stimuli. Otherwise, these terms are used in reference to sex assigned at birth.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Ursinus College.