ABSTRACT
I first described Norm-Centered Stigma Theory (NCST) in Queers, Bis, and Straight Lies: An Intersectional Examination of LGBTQ Stigma drawing upon the works of many influential scholars who emphasize norms/violations of norms and intersecting experiences with axes of social power as they relate to prejudice, discrimination, and stigma. Since then, I have continued to bring attention to NCST and its usefulness in exploring how norm violations relate to stigmatizing experiences. This chapter offers a brief overview of NCST, including its three tenets, and then describes its application to the empirical analyses of hetero-cis-normativity, intersectionality, and LGBTQ slur usage provided in Chapters 4 through 9 of this book.
