Essentialist Beliefs and Sexual Prejudice Toward Feminine Gay Men

We propose that feminine gay men are targets of essentialist beliefs that cast them as less natural and more entitative than masculine gay men, and that this pattern of low-naturalness/high-entitativity beliefs fuels increased sexual prejudice toward, and discomfort with, feminine gay men. Data from two studies support these hypotheses. In Study 1, feminine versus masculine gay men were rated lower in naturalness and higher in entitativity, while masculine versus feminine lesbians did not elicit this pattern of beliefs. Study 2 replicated the effects of gay men's gender expression on essentialist beliefs, and demonstrated that feminine gay men arouse more prejudice and discomfort than masculine gay men because they are perceived as socially constructed (low in naturalness) and deeply homogeneous (high in entitativity). Discussion considers the implications of these findings for reducing the stigma of femininity in gay men and outlines directions for future research.