The Moderating Roles of Gender and Anti-Gay Prejudice in Explaining Stigma by Association in Male Dyads

Abstract

Using a convenience sample of 157 undergraduates, this study explored the likeability ratings of target characters from selected film clips who were described as gay or heterosexual as they associated with a gay-described foil character (i.e., a character against which the target is compared). As predicted, male respondents who strongly endorsed anti-gay prejudice viewed gay-described targets more favorably than heterosexual-described targets when each target was paired with a gay foil. Further, this pattern of biased ratings by high-prejudice male participants against our heterosexual target differentiated these participants from both low-prejudice male and high-prejudice female respondents. In contrast, but as hypothesized, high-prejudice female respondents compared to high-prejudice males rated heterosexual-described targets more favorably than they rated gay-described targets.

Mentally ill, HIV-positive, or sexual predator? Determining myths perceived as representative of transgender people

“…In addition to potential myths about transgender people specifically, we explored whether allies (i.e., people who support transgender individuals) were likely to be perceived as being transgender. Individuals are potentially at risk to take on the stigma of the groups to which they are proximate, and by extension, could be at risk to experience discrimination (Hernandez et al, 2016;Jefferson & Bramlett, 2010). We elaborate more specifically on the rationale for each myth below.…”

“…Allies (i.e., those who support a group of people) are potentially at risk to take on the stigma of the groups to which they are proximate (Hernandez et al, 2016; Jefferson & Bramlett, 2010). Stigma by association (SBA) is the process by which an individual feels threatened about or takes on a group’s stigma without actually being a member of that group (Hernandez et al, 2016; Jefferson & Bramlett, 2010).…”

“…Allies (i.e., those who support a group of people) are potentially at risk to take on the stigma of the groups to which they are proximate (Hernandez et al, 2016; Jefferson & Bramlett, 2010). Stigma by association (SBA) is the process by which an individual feels threatened about or takes on a group’s stigma without actually being a member of that group (Hernandez et al, 2016; Jefferson & Bramlett, 2010). In other words, people may misconstrue characteristics about an individual or even misidentify that person as a member of a group because the person is proximate to the group, either physically, conceptually, or both (e.g., Rudman, Mescher, & Moss-Racusin, 2013).…”