The Stereotype Content of Sexual Orientation

Abstract

The stereotype content model provides a powerful tool to examine influential societal stereotypes associated with social groups. We theorize how stereotypes of gender, sexuality, and a group’s status in society combine to influence societal views of sexual orientation groups—placing particular emphasis on stereotypes of warmth and competence. In two survey experiments, we collect quantitative measures of stereotype content and open-response items on the stereotypes of bisexual individuals. We predict—and find—that gay men and lesbian women face disadvantaging stereotypes; bisexual men and women, however, face the most severely negative stereotypes of any sexual orientation group—with aggregate judgments of low warmth and competence. In the second study, using a diverse sample, we show that stereotypes about sexual orientation groups are largely culturally consensual. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of comparative approaches that consider both advantaged and disadvantaged groups to fully contextualize stereotypes of minority groups.

Intersections between Sexual Identity, Sexual Attraction, and Sexual Behavior among a Nationally Representative Sample of American Men and Women

“…Research by Ward (2008) and Silva (2016) show that some men who sleep with men still choose to identify as straight, and purposely distance themselves from any sort of queer identity to construct (and reinforce) ideals of normative masculinity. Studies have also shown that out LGB individuals are sometimes viewed as less competent, less moral, less trustworthy, and less warm than straight individuals (Mize and Manago 2018a;Webster et al 1998). In addition, a whopping 23% of the American public still believe that gay and lesbian relations between consenting adults should be illegal (Gallup 2018).…”

Contextual Prejudice: How Occupational Context and Stereotypes Shape Bias against Gay and Lesbian Employees

“…In American society, gay men are often viewed as more feminine than other men, and lesbians are often viewed as more masculine than other women (Madon 1997; Ward 2008). In other words, gay men and lesbians are stereotyped as gender nonconforming, with gay men assumed to be feminine and lesbians assumed to be masculine (Giuffre, Dellinger, and Williams 2008; Mize and Manago 2018). One conception of bias against gay men and lesbians is rooted in disapproval of such gender transgressions.…”

Economic Insecurity among Gay and Bisexual Men: Evidence from the 1991–2016 U.S. General Social Survey

“…Research has established that gay men are frequently associated with feminine traits, such as being sensitive, emotional, gentle, affectionate, and passive (Connell 2005; Jackson and Sullivan 1989; Madon 1997). Similarly, bisexual men tend to be perceived as less masculine and more feminine than heterosexual men (Mize and Manago 2018). If employers believe that masculinity helps to improve job performance and sexual minority men are stereotyped and assumed to be less masculine, and an individual’s masculinity cannot be assessed directly, then employers are more likely to judge job seekers based on the group perception (Tilcsik 2011).…”