Sexual racism, resistance and empowerment against racism, and muscle dysmorphia among sexual minority Asian American men

Body image research has documented that Asian American men experience disproportionately high rates of muscularity-related concerns compared to other racial groups. This is particularly pertinent among sexual minority Asian American men who face frequent experiences of sexual racism within the sexual minority community, which can significantly shape their body image attitudes. Nevertheless, limited studies have examined the impact of sexual racism on sexual minority Asian American men’s muscle dysmorphia symptoms. Thus, the present study investigated 1) whether sexual racism and resistance and empowerment against racism (REAR) are associated with muscle dysmorphia symptoms, and 2) whether REAR moderates the association between sexual racism and muscle dysmorphia symptoms among a sample of 154 sexual minority Asian American men. Regression analyses indicated that sexual racism (b = .35, p < .001) was significantly and positively associated with greater muscle dysmorphia symptoms, whereas REAR (b = .002, p = .984) was not associated with muscle dysmorphia symptoms. Additionally, REAR did not moderate the association between sexual racism and muscle dysmorphia symptoms. The present study contributes to the scarce body image literature on sexual minority Asian American men by highlighting how sexual racism shapes their muscle dysmorphia symptoms. These findings underscore implications for future research, clinical interventions, and prevention efforts.