Extending the social category label effect to stigmatized groups: Lesbian and gay people’s reactions to “homosexual” as a label

Abstract

The social category label effect describes how labels influence people’s perceptions of social groups. Though the label “homosexual” versus “lesbian/gay” decreases some heterosexual people’s support for sexual minorities, it is unknown how lesbian and gay (LG) people respond to “homosexual” as a label used to describe them. Across three experiments in a largely U.S. context (Total N = 831), we examined how use of “homosexual” influenced people’s responses on psychological instruments, preferences for demographic questions, and evaluations of individuals who use “homosexual.” The use of different labels in psychological measures did not influence LG people’s responses (Study 1). However, LG people reacted less positively to “homosexual” compared to “lesbian/gay” in demographic questions and in interpersonal exchanges (Studies 2-3), whereas heterosexual people’s reactions were largely unaffected (Study 2). LG people’s more negative reactions to “homosexual” than “lesbian/gay” were partially explained by them perceiving the “homosexual” label user as less culturally competent (i.e., less inclusive, less engaged in LGBTQ activism). In this article, we make progress in new empirical territory (sexual orientation-based cues research), propose the notion of linguistic heterosexism, and discuss the sociopolitical implications of people’s language choices.

“Mostly White, heterosexual couples”: Examining demographic diversity and reporting practices in relationship science research samples.

“…When doing so, we recommend that researchers provide an array of potential labels and allow participants to provide their own labels if their identity is not represented among the answer choices. Attending to how the labels they present will be received by participants (e.g., being aware of evidence that gay and lesbian participants anticipate that institutions using the term “homosexual” vs. “lesbian/gay” in demographic questionnaires will be less welcoming and understanding; Matsick et al, 2022) will aid researchers in creating an inclusive survey experience. As mentioned earlier in the discussion, recruiting sexual minority participants and reporting on participants’ sexual orientation are not always feasible.…”

Ten simple rules for socially responsible science

“…As such, it is possible that a single term can never satisfy everyone. This problem is compounded by the ever-changing nature of language and its shared understanding (e.g., [ 109 , 110 ]). Nevertheless, we should strive to understand the connotations that others associate with our chosen terminology so that we can make educated decisions and minimize harm.…”