Minority stress, psychosocial health, and survival among gay and bisexual men before, during, and after incarceration

Gay and bisexual men (GBM) are incarcerated at nearly twice the rate as the general United States male population. Minority stress, namely the unique social stressors related to anti-GBM stigma and discrimination, is central to GBM's experiences in ways that might put them at risk of incarceration and psychosocial risks during and after incarceration. In this qualitative study, we examined how GBM navigate minority stress and how this navigation influences their psychosocial health before, during, and after incarceration. We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 20 formerly incarcerated GBM in New York City, diverse in terms of race and time since last release. Our findings document the many ways in which GBM manage their identities in the context of minority stress and how such management exposes them to, or helps them avoid, minority stress and associated psychosocial health risks surrounding their incarcerations. Here, we report dominant themes before, during, and after incarceration for GBM, including minority stress: 1) as catalyzing incarceration-related experiences, 2) as motiving identity management techniques to survive the hegemonic masculinity and normative anti-GBM stigma of incarceration, and 3) as a determinant to reentry support and sexual expression after incarceration. These findings suggest potential changes to public health policy and practice to better serve the needs of currently and formerly incarcerated GBM and to prevent such incarceration in the first place. •Minority stress places gay and bisexual men in situations leading to incarceration.•Incarcerated gay and bisexual men manage identity to navigate minority stress.•Minority stress influences how gay and bisexual men experience community reentry.