An Intersectional Analysis of Intraminority Stigma Experiences and Community Involvement Among Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Gay Men

J Homosex. 2026 May 12:1-31. doi: 10.1080/00918369.2026.2663837. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Participation within gay communities can foster belonging but also intraminority stigma, potentially leading to avoidance, smaller social networks, and worse mental health. Guided by temporal intersectional minority stress theory and intraminority gay community stress theory, this cross-sectional study examined age differences in gay-specific intraminority stigma experiences, community involvement, and their associations among 2,159 gay men aged 19-79 years (M_age = 40.49, SD = 13.43). Compared to younger gay men, older gay men experienced more age stigma from other gay men, but less stigma related to body size/shape, gender expression, race/ethnicity, and nonconformity to mainstream community norms. However, older gay men with lower socioeconomic status (SES) and higher weight reported more intraminority socioeconomic and body stigma, respectively, relative to their younger counterparts. Intraminority body stigma was negatively associated with community involvement among gay men under 30 and positively associated among gay men over 59. Additionally, older gay men with lower status in gay spaces (i.e., lower masculinity, lower SES, higher weight, non-White, non-Democrat) experienced more intraminority gender expression stigma and less community involvement, but less acutely than their younger counterparts. Longitudinal and intersectional research is needed to better understand the clinical implications of intraminority stigma for the psychosocial well-being of gay men across the lifespan.

PMID:42119058 | DOI:10.1080/00918369.2026.2663837