Beg LGBT the Bible Belt |

Lbian, gay, bisexual, and pansexual (LGB+) dividuals have disproportnate rat of mental illns. Mory strs and sexual inty stigma are posed as the primary social termants of LGB+ mental health dispari. Discsns the lerature have qutned the impact of sexual inty stigma a world creasgly acceptg of sexual mori. Addnally, the LGB+ populatn the Uned Stat South is often overlooked Amerin rearch. This article tails a qualative study explorg experienc related to sexual inty stigma among adults who intify as LGB+ the Uned Stat South. Semi-stctured terviews wh 16 dividuals were analyzed g ntent analysis. Six thematic tegori of stigma emerged om participants’ experienc: (a) navigatg an LGB+ inty, (b) social acceptabily of an LGB+ inty, (c) expectatn of LGB+ stigma, (d) terpersonal discrimatn and harassment, (e) stctural stigma, and (f) relatnship wh the lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, and queer (LGBTQ) muny. Fdgs suggt that sexual inty stigma remas a mon experience among the Southern Uned Stat participants. Further, thematic tegori and subtegori primarily aligned wh extant theory wh one exceptn: Intramuny stigma, a form of stigma emanatg om the LGBTQ muny, emerged as a stigma type not currently acunted for theoretil foundatns unrpng mental health dispari this ...