Race-Based Discrimination, Internalized Racism, and Anticipatory Stigma Among Sexual Minority Men in Same-Race and Interracial Relationships

Sexual minority men (SMM) of color in inter-racial/ethnic relationships experience more stress than those in same-race/ethnic relationships. While minority stress in SMM couples has been studied, few studies have examined race/ethnicity and SMM relationship dynamics in an integrative manner, especially at the individual level. This study examined race-based discrimination, internalized racism, and anticipatory stigma among 391 U.S. SMM who reported being in romantic relationships. A MANOVA model analyzed differences in these outcomes across six groups: a) Latinx SMM with a Latinx partner, b) White SMM with a White partner, c) Black SMM with a Black partner, d) Asian SMM with an Asian partner, e) White SMM with a partner of color, and f) SMM of color with a White partner. There were significant differences in internalized racism across Asian, Latinx, and White SMM with a partner who shared the same racial/ethnic background. Anticipatory stigma was significantly higher for Black SMM with a Black partner than for Asian SMM with an Asian partner. SMM of color with a partner of color reported greater internalized racism and race-based discrimination than White SMM with a White partner. Racism and stigma were consistently higher among SMM of color with a White partner than White SMM with a partner of color. Our findings highlight the importance of considering the intersectionality between racial/ethnic identity and relationship dynamics when designing relationship-based interventions.