What do people believe about gay males? A study of stereotype content and strength

A multicomponent approach to stereotype assessment examined the content and strength of the gay male stereotype. There were 115 subjects in the main study (73 females and 42 males) including 9 African Americans 19 Asians, 71 Caucasians, 10 Latinos, and 6 subjects who did not report their ethnicity. Ninety-three subjects reported being heterosexual, 16 subjects reported that they were gay to some extent, and 6 subjects did not report their sexual orientation. Analyses examining content assessed the following: (I) stereotypic and counterstereotypic attributes of gay males including personality traits, behaviors, and physical characteristics and (2) different subtypes of gay males. Analyses examining strength measured how strongly people associated with gay males: (I) personality traits, behaviors, and physical characteristics; and (2) the identified subtypes. Results indicated that the stereotype's content included attributes from multiple components and formed two subtypes. The first subtype reflected the perception that gay males have positive female sex-typed qualities. The second subtype reflected the perception that gay males violate acceptable male gender roles. Results regarding the stereotype's strength indicated that people most strongly associated behaviors with gay males and the subtype that they violate acceptable male gender roles.