Self-Objectification and Self-Sexualizing Appearance Behaviors in Chinese Lesbian and Bisexual Females: Moderating Effect of Femme/Butch/Androgyne Identity

ABSTRACT

In heterosexual populations, self-objectification is associated with self-sexualizing appearance behaviors. This study examined the relationship between self-objectification and self-sexualizing appearance behaviors and the moderating effect of butch/androgynous/femme sexual self-label identification in Chinese bisexual and lesbian females. We recruited 637 bisexual and lesbian females to complete an online questionnaire that asked about demographic information and feminine and masculine self-sexualizing appearance behaviors and measured the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale. Feminine self-sexualizing appearance behaviors include wearing high heels, short skirts, low-cut outfits, skinny clothes and makeup. Masculine self-sexualizing appearance behaviors include wearing short hair and binding breasts. Femme-identified females scored higher on body surveillance than did butch- and androgynous-identified females. Butch-identified females reported having more masculine self-sexualizing behaviors, whereas femme-identified females reported having more feminine self-sexualizing appearance behaviors. Sexual self-label identification moderated the relationship between self-objectification and feminine self-sexualizing behaviors. Body surveillance was significantly associated with feminine self-sexualizing behaviors in femme- and androgynous-identified females but not in butch-identified females. Body shame was negatively associated with feminine self-sexualizing appearance behaviors in androgynous-identified females. The current findings highlight the role of sexual self-label identification in self-objectification among Chinese bisexual and lesbian females. The findings imply the heterogeneousness of self-objectification among Chinese bisexual and lesbian females.

KEYWORDS:

• Self-sexualizing appearance behaviors
• sexual self-label identification
• self-objectification
• lesbian
• bisexual female
• femininity

Disclosure statement

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