Is Being Out About Sexual Orientation Uniformly Healthy? The Moderating Role of Socioeconomic Status in a Prospective Study of Gay and Bisexual Men

Background Stress associated with concealing sexual orientation is a possible mechanism for health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) individuals. However, disclosing one’s sexual orientation might not be uniformly healthy across social contexts. Purpose The present study tested whether being out is less healthy for gay and bisexual men of lower socioeconomic status (SES) relative to higher SES men. Methods Using longitudinal data on gay and bisexual men ( N = 564, ages 18–72), we examined whether the association between outness and physical health differs by SES. Results SES significantly moderated associations between outness and physician visits, nonprescription medication use, and physical symptoms. Outness predicted physical health benefits for higher SES men but health problems for lower SES men. Conclusions The common assumption that disclosing one’s sexual orientation is uniformly healthy may be less accurate (or inaccurate) for lower status groups. Future research should explore SES as context for minority stress and LGB health disparities.