Bisexual Women’s Experiences of Stigma and Verbal Sexual Coercion: The Roles of Internalized Heterosexism and Outness

Abstract

In the current study, we examined how bisexual women’s unique experiences of sexual identity stigma might elevate their risk for verbal sexual coercion. Online survey data were collected from 350 self-identified bisexual women. Hayes PROCESS macro was used to test moderated-mediation and mediation analyses. Results indicated that anti-bisexual experiences (from both heterosexual and lesbian/gay individuals) were associated with greater internalized heterosexism (i.e., internalization of negative societal attitudes and stereotypes about one’s minority sexual orientation), which in turn was associated with increased odds of experiencing verbal sexual coercion. We did not find moderating effects of outness, such that internalized heterosexism mediated the relation between anti-bisexual experiences and verbal sexual coercion regardless of bisexual women’s levels of outness. Findings suggest that anti-bisexual experiences and internalized heterosexism are associated with bisexual women’s elevated risk for experiencing verbal sexual coercion. There is a need for targeted sexual violence prevention and risk reduction efforts that take into account the unique experiences and vulnerabilities of bisexual women in victimization risk. Results also highlight the need for campaigns that reduce sexual orientation-related stigma at the population level in order to prevent negative health outcomes among bisexual women.

Exploring potential determinants of sexual victimization disparities among young sexual minoritized people: A mixed-method study.

“…A mixed-method study of young bisexual people replicated these findings both qualitatively and quantitatively (Flanders et al, 2020). Further, both bisexual stigma and internalized heterosexism have been found to be associated with greater odds of experiencing verbal sexual coercion among bisexual women (Salim et al, 2020). These findings align with Johnson and Grove (2017) theorization that hypersexualization and biphobic harassment are significant contributors to bisexual women’s increased victimization.…”

Binegativity Exacerbates the Effects of Sexual Victimization Disclosure on Posttraumatic Stress and Drinking Among Bisexual Women

“…Public education campaigns and programming aimed at increasing visibility of and positive representation of bisexuality, and sexual health education that acknowledges bisexuality as a healthy and legitimate sexual identity, may help reduce stigma at a broader level (Ross et al, 2010). Additionally, sexual violence risk reduction efforts must consider bisexual women’s unique experiences and vulnerabilities due to bisexual minority stress (Salim et al, 2020). There is some evidence that intervention with college students can increase positive and decrease negative disclosure responses (Edwards et al, 2020).…”

“…Consistent with McConnell & Messman-Moore (2019), our findings suggest that binegativity may modify outcomes following sexual victimization. This is alarming given that antibisexual stigma is also associated with risk for sexual victimization (Flanders, Anderson, et al, 2019; Kelley et al, 2018; Salim et al, 2020). Thus, it may be particularly important to provide sexual assault prevention, intervention, and mental health services, in contexts with greater binegativity to prevent its exacerbating effects.…”

How deep is the cut? The influence of daily microaggressions on bisexual women’s health.

“…Intersectionality is a framework that asserts that individuals occupy multiple co-occurring identities, these identities function interdependently to influence lived experiences, and that such identities and experiences reside within a larger system of power and privilege (Crenshaw, 1991). Bisexual women of color are likely to experience intersectional minority stressors, which are synergistic effects of sexism, antibisexual prejudice, and racial discrimination (Bostwick & Dodge, 2019; Dodge et al, 2016; Dyar et al, 2021; Matsick & Rubin, 2018; Salim et al, 2019, 2020; Serpe et al, 2020; Smith et al, 2020), with such intersectional stressors, in turn, impacting mood and overall well-being. This said, research investigating racial disparities and health among bisexual women of color is limited, often due to either collapsing all sexual minority women into one category, that is, “sexual minority women” (SMW), or due to the creation of a single “women of color” category, which obscures differences among racial/ethnic groups.…”