Gay Black man does not equal gay + Black + man: An Intersectional Analysis of Race and Sexual Orientation Stereotypes

Abstract

Intersectionality theory suggests that group identities based on the intersection of different social categories are unique and cannot be understood by simply adding together the elements of each separate identity (Cole & Zucker, 2007). Across two studies, I apply an intersectional analysis to investigate how the interaction of sexual orientation and race affect perceptions of group similarity and stereotype content. The intersectionality hypothesis (H1) predicts that stereotypes for “race by sexual orientation” groups (e.g. gay Black men) will contain unique elements that are not the result of simply adding race stereotypes to sexual orientation stereotypes. With perceived similarity, intersectionality is evident in the statistical interaction between target race and sexual orientation. The prototypicality hypothesis (H2) suggests that “race by sexual orientation” groups will generate more unique attributes when they are non-prototypical with respect to race (Black) and sexual orientation (gay). The results partially supported both hypotheses. In Study 1, perceptions of similarity to the groups “Men” and “Black men” were qualified by a significant interaction between race and sexual orientation. In Study 2, all four “race by sexual orientation” groups produced unique attributes that were absent in the stereotype profiles of their constituent groups. Sexual orientation emerged as a more dominant factor than race for both perceptions of similarity and stereotype content. The results contribute to research and theory building by demonstrating that the intersection of ethnic and sexual orientation stereotypes is complex and produces meaningful differences in the perception of groups.