Due to significant historical change in the late 20th and early 21st century related to both heal... more Due to significant historical change in the late 20th and early 21st century related to both health and cultural attitudes toward homosexuality, gay men of distinct birth cohorts may diverge considerably in their health and identity development. We argue that research on gay men's health has not adequately considered the significance of membership in distinct generation-cohorts, and we present a life course paradigm to addressthisproblem.Focusingon theU.S.asanexemplarthatcan be adapted to other cultural contexts, we identify five generations of gay men alive today and review unique issues related to health and identity development for each. Implications for research, practice, and advocacy on gay men's health and development are discussed.
Research into antigay violence has been limited by a lack of attention to issues of gender presen... more Research into antigay violence has been limited by a lack of attention to issues of gender presentation. Understanding gender nonconformity is important for addressing antigay prejudice and hate crimes. We assessed experiences of gender-nonconformity-related prejudice among 396 Black, Latino, and White lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals recruited from diverse community venues in New York City. We assessed the prevalence and
Amnesty International's (AI) recent report "Crimes of Hate, Conspiracy of Silence" ... more Amnesty International's (AI) recent report "Crimes of Hate, Conspiracy of Silence" examines the torture and ill-treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The report documents widespread human rights abuses, ranging from loss of dignity to assault, rape, and murder. The report also reveals that both the state and society continue to sanction these human rights abuses through formal
The Institute of Medicine (2011) has recently highlighted health disparities among U.S. women bas... more The Institute of Medicine (2011) has recently highlighted health disparities among U.S. women based on sexual minority status, reviewing evidence that compared to heterosexual women, lesbians and bisexual women report higher rates of substance use behaviors, have higher prevalence of obesity and breast cancer, and are less likely to seek preventative healthcare. Fear of disclosure of sexual orientation to healthcare providers may be among the factors that help explain these observed differences. The present study analyzes longitudinal data from interviews with 198 self-identified lesbians and bisexual women ages 19-58 (M = 32.42) on degree of disclosure of sexual orientation and its associations with self-reported health, psychological well-being, and minority stress. Results demonstrated that bisexual women were significantly less likely to have disclosed their sexual orientation to healthcare providers, with only 37% of bisexual women reporting they were out to all providers compa...
Background: Black lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) women assume a triply marginalized social stat... more Background: Black lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) women assume a triply marginalized social status in American society due to their race, gender, and sexual orientation. This “triple jeopardy” may increase their exposure to discrimination and risk for negative mental health outcomes as compared to social groups facing fewer forms of oppression. This hypothesis was tested by comparing Black LGB women to groups sharing two of three marginalized statuses: (a) White LGB women and (b) Black LGB men. Additionally, using the minority stress theoretical framework, dimensions of discrimination were tested and contrasted as mediators of the relationship between social status (race or gender) and mental health. Methods: 64 Black female, 67 White female, and 67 Black male LGB adults reported depressive symptoms, psychological wellbeing, social wellbeing, discrimination frequency (regularity of occurrences), discrimination scope (number of types of discriminatory acts experienced), and number o...
Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy, 2013
This large-scale cross-sectional study compared posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence a... more This large-scale cross-sectional study compared posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence among White, Black, and Latino lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals (LGBs; n = 382) and compared them with heterosexual individuals (n = 126). Building on previous research, we relaxed the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994), allowing non-Criterion A1 events such as ending a relationship, unemployment, homelessness, and separation from parents to qualify, and we assessed differences in PTSD prevalence between standard DSM-IV criteria and the relaxed criteria. Findings revealed that participants reporting a non-Criterion A1 event were more likely than those reporting a Criterion A1 event to have symptoms diagnosable as PTSD. There was no significant difference in either DSM-IV or relaxed Criterion A1 PTSD prevalence between lesbian and gay, and heterosexual individuals or between bisexual and heter...
Background: African American young men who have sex with men (AAYMSM) from the House and Ball com... more Background: African American young men who have sex with men (AAYMSM) from the House and Ball community are at high risk for HIV infection. Using Minority Stress Theory as a framework, the current study illustrates the impact minority stress has on the psychological well-being of MSM members from the House and Ball community in Los Angeles, a majority of whom are of African American descent and between the ages of 17 to 25. We also examine characteristics of their social networks and investigate how these factors affect the relationship between minority stress and psychological well-being. Method: Surveys were administered to House and Ball community members over the course of a year, which included questions about participants' social and sexual networks. Structural equation modeling estimated a model that examined the associations between minority stressors, support, connection to social network, and psychological well-being/distress among MSM participants (N=233). Results: Re...
Despite a large body of literature covering sexual identity development milestones, we know littl... more Despite a large body of literature covering sexual identity development milestones, we know little about differences or similarities in patterns of identity development among subgroups of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) population. For this study, we assessed identity milestones for 396 LGB New Yorkers, ages 18-59. Sexual identity and disclosure milestones were measured across gender, sexual identity, race/ethnicity, and age cohort subgroups of the LGB sample. Men experienced most sexual identity milestones earlier than women, but they tended to take more time between milestones.
Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race, 2011
Abstract Deeply embedded in everyday discourse, social interactions, and institutional practices,... more Abstract Deeply embedded in everyday discourse, social interactions, and institutional practices, racism negatively affects the health and well-being of Black people in the United States. Theory and empirical research on the impact of racism on health have focused on ...
Sexuality research & social policy : journal of NSRC : SR & SP, 2013
The present study sought to identify patterns and predictors of disclosure of sexual orientation ... more The present study sought to identify patterns and predictors of disclosure of sexual orientation to healthcare providers among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults. Respondents were 396 self-identified LGB individuals ages 18-59, recruited from diverse community venues in New York City, with equal numbers of men and women and Whites, Blacks, and Latinos. Respondents were interviewed at baseline and 1-year follow-up. We assessed the relationships among disclosure of sexual orientation, demographic characteristics, health, and minority stress. Rates of nondisclosure to healthcare providers were significantly higher among bisexual men (39.3%) and bisexual women (32.6%) compared with gay men (10%) and lesbians (12.9%). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models predicting disclosure of sexual orientation indicated that patient age, level of education, immigration status, medical history, level of internalized homophobia, and degree of connectedness to the LGB community wer...
Research into antigay violence has been limited by a lack of attention to issues of gender presen... more Research into antigay violence has been limited by a lack of attention to issues of gender presentation. Understanding gender nonconformity is important for addressing antigay prejudice and hate crimes. We assessed experiences of gender-nonconformity-related prejudice among 396 Black, Latino, and White lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals recruited from diverse community venues in New York City. We assessed the prevalence and contexts of prejudice-related life events and everyday discrimination using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Gender nonconformity had precipitated major prejudice events for 9% of the respondents and discrimination instances for 19%. Women were more likely than men to report gender-nonconformity-related discrimination but there were no differences by other demographic characteristics. In analysis of events narratives, we show that gender nonconformity prejudice is often intertwined with antigay prejudice. Our results demonstrate that both constru...
The International journal of eating disorders, 2007
This study examines the association between eating disorders and a history of childhood abuse in ... more This study examines the association between eating disorders and a history of childhood abuse in gay and bisexual men, and how substance abuse and depression might impact this relationship. 193 white, black, Latino gay, and bisexual men were sampled from community venues. DSM-IV diagnoses of anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder were assessed using the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Men with a history of childhood sexual abuse are significantly more likely to have subclinical bulimia or any current full-syndrome or subclinical eating disorder compared with men who do not have a history of childhood sexual abuse. A history of depression and/or substance use disorders did not mediate this relationship. Researchers should study other potential explanations of the relationship between a history of childhood abuse and eating disorders in gay and bisexual men. Clinicians working with gay and bisexual men who have a history of childhood...
The International journal of eating disorders, 2007
This study estimates the prevalence of eating disorders in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) men a... more This study estimates the prevalence of eating disorders in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) men and women, and examines the association between participation in the gay community and eating disorder prevalence in gay and bisexual men. One hundred and twenty six white heterosexuals and 388 white, black, Latino LGB men and women were sampled from community venues. DSM-IV diagnoses of anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder were assessed using the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Gay and bisexual men had significantly higher prevalence estimates of eating disorders than heterosexual men. There were no differences in eating disorder prevalence between lesbian and bisexual women and heterosexual women, or across gender or racial groups. Attending a gay recreational group was significantly related to eating disorder prevalence in gay and bisexual men. Researchers should study the causes of the high prevalence of eating disorders among gay ...
This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of HIV-1 antibodies among hospitalized h... more This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of HIV-1 antibodies among hospitalized homeless mentally ill patients. From December 1989 through May 1991 the authors collected discard blood samples from patients consecutively admitted to a psychiatric unit designated for the care of severely mentally ill persons removed from the streets of New York City. The blood samples were tested for HIV-1 antibodies, and the results were analyzed for associations with age, gender, ethnicity, male homosexual activity, and use of injected drugs. The HIV seroprevalence was 6.4% (13 of 203 samples). Patients between ages 18 and 39 accounted for 51.2% of the admissions and 84.6% of the 13 positive results, a seroprevalence of 10.6% for this subsample. Patients under age 40 were more than six times as likely to test positive for HIV antibodies as those 40 or over. Ethnicity did not predict seropositivity. Women were as likely as men to be infected. Although clinicians had noted high-risk be...
The authors determined the seroprevalence of HIV-1 among patients admitted to two psychiatric hos... more The authors determined the seroprevalence of HIV-1 among patients admitted to two psychiatric hospitals in New York City. Patients consecutively admitted to an acute psychiatric unit in Manhattan and a large state hospital in Queens were anonymously tested for HIV-1 antibodies from December 1989 through July 1990. Test results were linked to age, gender, ethnicity, and two risk behaviors: male homosexual activity and injection drug use. Blood was obtained from 83.0% of the eligible patients. The prevalence of HIV was 5.5% (25 of 451). Black patients accounted for 38.0% of the patients tested and 76.0% of positive results (N = 19), a rate of 11.1% for this group. The rate of seropositivity was comparable in women and men. Clinicians had charted risk behavior for nine (36.0%) of the 25 HIV-positive patients. Infection control records suggested that clinicians were aware of seven (28.0%) of the positive cases. One in every 18 patients admitted to two public psychiatric hospitals in New...
We assessed 12-month prevalence and incidence data on sexual victimization in 5 federal surveys t... more We assessed 12-month prevalence and incidence data on sexual victimization in 5 federal surveys that the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted independently in 2010 through 2012. We used these data to examine the prevailing assumption that men rarely experience sexual victimization. We concluded that federal surveys detect a high prevalence of sexual victimization among men-in many circumstances similar to the prevalence found among women. We identified factors that perpetuate misperceptions about men's sexual victimization: reliance on traditional gender stereotypes, outdated and inconsistent definitions, and methodological sampling biases that exclude inmates. We recommend changes that move beyond regressive gender assumptions, which can harm both women and men.
Due to significant historical change in the late 20th and early 21st century related to both heal... more Due to significant historical change in the late 20th and early 21st century related to both health and cultural attitudes toward homosexuality, gay men of distinct birth cohorts may diverge considerably in their health and identity development. We argue that research on gay men's health has not adequately considered the significance of membership in distinct generation-cohorts, and we present a life course paradigm to addressthisproblem.Focusingon theU.S.asanexemplarthatcan be adapted to other cultural contexts, we identify five generations of gay men alive today and review unique issues related to health and identity development for each. Implications for research, practice, and advocacy on gay men's health and development are discussed.
Research into antigay violence has been limited by a lack of attention to issues of gender presen... more Research into antigay violence has been limited by a lack of attention to issues of gender presentation. Understanding gender nonconformity is important for addressing antigay prejudice and hate crimes. We assessed experiences of gender-nonconformity-related prejudice among 396 Black, Latino, and White lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals recruited from diverse community venues in New York City. We assessed the prevalence and
Amnesty International's (AI) recent report "Crimes of Hate, Conspiracy of Silence" ... more Amnesty International's (AI) recent report "Crimes of Hate, Conspiracy of Silence" examines the torture and ill-treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The report documents widespread human rights abuses, ranging from loss of dignity to assault, rape, and murder. The report also reveals that both the state and society continue to sanction these human rights abuses through formal
The Institute of Medicine (2011) has recently highlighted health disparities among U.S. women bas... more The Institute of Medicine (2011) has recently highlighted health disparities among U.S. women based on sexual minority status, reviewing evidence that compared to heterosexual women, lesbians and bisexual women report higher rates of substance use behaviors, have higher prevalence of obesity and breast cancer, and are less likely to seek preventative healthcare. Fear of disclosure of sexual orientation to healthcare providers may be among the factors that help explain these observed differences. The present study analyzes longitudinal data from interviews with 198 self-identified lesbians and bisexual women ages 19-58 (M = 32.42) on degree of disclosure of sexual orientation and its associations with self-reported health, psychological well-being, and minority stress. Results demonstrated that bisexual women were significantly less likely to have disclosed their sexual orientation to healthcare providers, with only 37% of bisexual women reporting they were out to all providers compa...
Background: Black lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) women assume a triply marginalized social stat... more Background: Black lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) women assume a triply marginalized social status in American society due to their race, gender, and sexual orientation. This “triple jeopardy” may increase their exposure to discrimination and risk for negative mental health outcomes as compared to social groups facing fewer forms of oppression. This hypothesis was tested by comparing Black LGB women to groups sharing two of three marginalized statuses: (a) White LGB women and (b) Black LGB men. Additionally, using the minority stress theoretical framework, dimensions of discrimination were tested and contrasted as mediators of the relationship between social status (race or gender) and mental health. Methods: 64 Black female, 67 White female, and 67 Black male LGB adults reported depressive symptoms, psychological wellbeing, social wellbeing, discrimination frequency (regularity of occurrences), discrimination scope (number of types of discriminatory acts experienced), and number o...
Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy, 2013
This large-scale cross-sectional study compared posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence a... more This large-scale cross-sectional study compared posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence among White, Black, and Latino lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals (LGBs; n = 382) and compared them with heterosexual individuals (n = 126). Building on previous research, we relaxed the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994), allowing non-Criterion A1 events such as ending a relationship, unemployment, homelessness, and separation from parents to qualify, and we assessed differences in PTSD prevalence between standard DSM-IV criteria and the relaxed criteria. Findings revealed that participants reporting a non-Criterion A1 event were more likely than those reporting a Criterion A1 event to have symptoms diagnosable as PTSD. There was no significant difference in either DSM-IV or relaxed Criterion A1 PTSD prevalence between lesbian and gay, and heterosexual individuals or between bisexual and heter...
Background: African American young men who have sex with men (AAYMSM) from the House and Ball com... more Background: African American young men who have sex with men (AAYMSM) from the House and Ball community are at high risk for HIV infection. Using Minority Stress Theory as a framework, the current study illustrates the impact minority stress has on the psychological well-being of MSM members from the House and Ball community in Los Angeles, a majority of whom are of African American descent and between the ages of 17 to 25. We also examine characteristics of their social networks and investigate how these factors affect the relationship between minority stress and psychological well-being. Method: Surveys were administered to House and Ball community members over the course of a year, which included questions about participants' social and sexual networks. Structural equation modeling estimated a model that examined the associations between minority stressors, support, connection to social network, and psychological well-being/distress among MSM participants (N=233). Results: Re...
Despite a large body of literature covering sexual identity development milestones, we know littl... more Despite a large body of literature covering sexual identity development milestones, we know little about differences or similarities in patterns of identity development among subgroups of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) population. For this study, we assessed identity milestones for 396 LGB New Yorkers, ages 18-59. Sexual identity and disclosure milestones were measured across gender, sexual identity, race/ethnicity, and age cohort subgroups of the LGB sample. Men experienced most sexual identity milestones earlier than women, but they tended to take more time between milestones.
Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race, 2011
Abstract Deeply embedded in everyday discourse, social interactions, and institutional practices,... more Abstract Deeply embedded in everyday discourse, social interactions, and institutional practices, racism negatively affects the health and well-being of Black people in the United States. Theory and empirical research on the impact of racism on health have focused on ...
Sexuality research & social policy : journal of NSRC : SR & SP, 2013
The present study sought to identify patterns and predictors of disclosure of sexual orientation ... more The present study sought to identify patterns and predictors of disclosure of sexual orientation to healthcare providers among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults. Respondents were 396 self-identified LGB individuals ages 18-59, recruited from diverse community venues in New York City, with equal numbers of men and women and Whites, Blacks, and Latinos. Respondents were interviewed at baseline and 1-year follow-up. We assessed the relationships among disclosure of sexual orientation, demographic characteristics, health, and minority stress. Rates of nondisclosure to healthcare providers were significantly higher among bisexual men (39.3%) and bisexual women (32.6%) compared with gay men (10%) and lesbians (12.9%). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models predicting disclosure of sexual orientation indicated that patient age, level of education, immigration status, medical history, level of internalized homophobia, and degree of connectedness to the LGB community wer...
Research into antigay violence has been limited by a lack of attention to issues of gender presen... more Research into antigay violence has been limited by a lack of attention to issues of gender presentation. Understanding gender nonconformity is important for addressing antigay prejudice and hate crimes. We assessed experiences of gender-nonconformity-related prejudice among 396 Black, Latino, and White lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals recruited from diverse community venues in New York City. We assessed the prevalence and contexts of prejudice-related life events and everyday discrimination using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Gender nonconformity had precipitated major prejudice events for 9% of the respondents and discrimination instances for 19%. Women were more likely than men to report gender-nonconformity-related discrimination but there were no differences by other demographic characteristics. In analysis of events narratives, we show that gender nonconformity prejudice is often intertwined with antigay prejudice. Our results demonstrate that both constru...
The International journal of eating disorders, 2007
This study examines the association between eating disorders and a history of childhood abuse in ... more This study examines the association between eating disorders and a history of childhood abuse in gay and bisexual men, and how substance abuse and depression might impact this relationship. 193 white, black, Latino gay, and bisexual men were sampled from community venues. DSM-IV diagnoses of anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder were assessed using the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Men with a history of childhood sexual abuse are significantly more likely to have subclinical bulimia or any current full-syndrome or subclinical eating disorder compared with men who do not have a history of childhood sexual abuse. A history of depression and/or substance use disorders did not mediate this relationship. Researchers should study other potential explanations of the relationship between a history of childhood abuse and eating disorders in gay and bisexual men. Clinicians working with gay and bisexual men who have a history of childhood...
The International journal of eating disorders, 2007
This study estimates the prevalence of eating disorders in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) men a... more This study estimates the prevalence of eating disorders in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) men and women, and examines the association between participation in the gay community and eating disorder prevalence in gay and bisexual men. One hundred and twenty six white heterosexuals and 388 white, black, Latino LGB men and women were sampled from community venues. DSM-IV diagnoses of anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder were assessed using the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Gay and bisexual men had significantly higher prevalence estimates of eating disorders than heterosexual men. There were no differences in eating disorder prevalence between lesbian and bisexual women and heterosexual women, or across gender or racial groups. Attending a gay recreational group was significantly related to eating disorder prevalence in gay and bisexual men. Researchers should study the causes of the high prevalence of eating disorders among gay ...
This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of HIV-1 antibodies among hospitalized h... more This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of HIV-1 antibodies among hospitalized homeless mentally ill patients. From December 1989 through May 1991 the authors collected discard blood samples from patients consecutively admitted to a psychiatric unit designated for the care of severely mentally ill persons removed from the streets of New York City. The blood samples were tested for HIV-1 antibodies, and the results were analyzed for associations with age, gender, ethnicity, male homosexual activity, and use of injected drugs. The HIV seroprevalence was 6.4% (13 of 203 samples). Patients between ages 18 and 39 accounted for 51.2% of the admissions and 84.6% of the 13 positive results, a seroprevalence of 10.6% for this subsample. Patients under age 40 were more than six times as likely to test positive for HIV antibodies as those 40 or over. Ethnicity did not predict seropositivity. Women were as likely as men to be infected. Although clinicians had noted high-risk be...
The authors determined the seroprevalence of HIV-1 among patients admitted to two psychiatric hos... more The authors determined the seroprevalence of HIV-1 among patients admitted to two psychiatric hospitals in New York City. Patients consecutively admitted to an acute psychiatric unit in Manhattan and a large state hospital in Queens were anonymously tested for HIV-1 antibodies from December 1989 through July 1990. Test results were linked to age, gender, ethnicity, and two risk behaviors: male homosexual activity and injection drug use. Blood was obtained from 83.0% of the eligible patients. The prevalence of HIV was 5.5% (25 of 451). Black patients accounted for 38.0% of the patients tested and 76.0% of positive results (N = 19), a rate of 11.1% for this group. The rate of seropositivity was comparable in women and men. Clinicians had charted risk behavior for nine (36.0%) of the 25 HIV-positive patients. Infection control records suggested that clinicians were aware of seven (28.0%) of the positive cases. One in every 18 patients admitted to two public psychiatric hospitals in New...
We assessed 12-month prevalence and incidence data on sexual victimization in 5 federal surveys t... more We assessed 12-month prevalence and incidence data on sexual victimization in 5 federal surveys that the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted independently in 2010 through 2012. We used these data to examine the prevailing assumption that men rarely experience sexual victimization. We concluded that federal surveys detect a high prevalence of sexual victimization among men-in many circumstances similar to the prevalence found among women. We identified factors that perpetuate misperceptions about men's sexual victimization: reliance on traditional gender stereotypes, outdated and inconsistent definitions, and methodological sampling biases that exclude inmates. We recommend changes that move beyond regressive gender assumptions, which can harm both women and men.
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Papers by Ilan H. Meyer