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How do members of societally-valued (dominant) groups respond when considering inequality? Prior research suggests that salient inequality may be viewed as a threat to dominant-group members’ self and collective moral character (e.g., Knowles et al., 2014). However, people possess multiple social identities and may be advantaged in one domain (e.g., White) while concurrently disadvantaged in another domain (e.g., sexual minority). The present research tests whether individuals may reduce the moral-image threat of being societally-advantaged in one domain by highlighting discrimination they face in other domains. Four experiments with individuals advantaged along different dimensions of inequality (race, social-class, sexuality) reveal that making such inequality salient evokes greater perceived discrimination faced by oneself and one’s ingroups along other identity dimensions.

How do people’s beliefs about what drives discrimination against their group (structural factors or interpersonal biases) affect their support for coalescing with and improving stigmatized outgroups’ positions? Analyses of nationally-representative datasets reveal that Hispanics, Black Americans, and White women who held more structural (vs. interpersonal) understandings of ingroup discrimination (racism, sexism) were more likely to express support and attend to issues affecting other stigmatized groups (Study 1). Among White women and non-Black LGBTQ individuals, beliefs that structural factors drive the ingroup’s discrimination predicted support for intra-minority coalitions and intentions and behavior supporting Black Americans (Study 2). Finally, several experiments (Studies 3-4) revealed that White women for whom structural forms of sexism (vs. interpersonally-driven sexism or control information) were made salient expressed more support for coalescing with and acting to support racial minority groups. Overall, considering structural factors contributing to discrimination against one’s own group’s facilitates seeking and supporting intra-minority coalitions.

How do members of societally valued (dominant) groups respond when considering inequality? Prior research suggests that salient inequality may be viewed as a threat to dominant-group members’ self and collective moral character. However, people possess multiple social identities and may be advantaged in one domain (e.g., White) while concurrently disadvantaged in another domain (e.g., sexual minority). The present research tests whether individuals may reduce the moral-image threat of being societally advantaged in one domain by highlighting discrimination they face in other domains. Four experiments with individuals advantaged along different dimensions of inequality (race, social class, sexuality) reveal that making such inequality salient evokes greater perceived discrimination faced by oneself and one’s ingroups along other identity dimensions.