An empirical test of racial differences in affiliation with and perceived racial stigma within the gay community: Implications for understanding HIV risk

Background: Existing studies of stigma-related protective factors and HIV risk among black MSM have yielded counter-intuitive findings, with some studies suggesting that factors like affiliation with the gay community are associated with higher risk. This study addresses one assumption of the existing research: that black and white MSM experience the gay community in the same way. To this end, we test whether black and white MSM differ in levels of affiliation with, and perceived racial stigma within the gay community. Method: Data for this study are taken from the Urban Men's Health Study, a probability sample of adult men who have sex with men (n=2881). Each of our key constructs -- affiliation with, and perceived racial stigma within the gay community -- are measured with multiple items. OLS regression was used to test racial differences in each construct, controlling for socio-demographics. Results: The vast majority of black MSM report that racial stigma is a major problem in the gay community. Compared to whites, black MSM are less likely to report feelings of affiliation with (p<.01) and more likely to report racial stigma within (p<.01) the gay community. Conclusion: These findings suggest that black and white MSM experience the gay community in vastly different ways, such that blacks feel more alienated, and may routinely encounter racial stigma. These data help to contextualize existing research, and suggest that racism may shape the extent to which affiliation with the gay community is a protective factor against HIV for black MSM.