ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the stigmatization of queer women. First, the Queer Women Stigma Scale is examined. Second, Norm-Centered Stigma Theory (NCST) is utilized to explore the relationships among the Queer Women Stigma Scale, the Hetero-cis-normativity Scale (HCN Scale), gender, sexuality, additional gender/sexuality, race/ethnicity, and basic needs. Third, queer women’s experiences with gender- and sexuality-based discrimination, harassment, and violence (DHV) are investigated. In line with the three tenets and hypotheses derived from NCST, there are six patterns found in this chapter: (1) sex-act related stigma is a driving force in the stigmatization of queer women for both hetero-cis and LGBTQ people, especially the damaging perspectives that queer women are too sexual and unfaithful—however, discomfort with queer women’s sex acts with both women and men are also quite concerning for hetero-cis people; (2) for both hetero-cis and LGBTQ people, there is strong support for the stigmatizing belief that queer women are not feminine enough and that their identities as queer women are just temporary or experimental; (3) hetero-cis-normativity is positively related to queer women stigma for both subsamples—however, the interaction effects between the HCN Scale and social power axes that moderate these relationships differ for the hetero-cis and LGBTQ subsamples; (4) individual social power axes are significantly related to queer women stigma for both subsamples—however, the interaction effects between the social power axes that moderate these relationships differ for the hetero-cis and LGBTQ subsamples; (5) queer women experience extremely high levels of gender- and sexuality-based DHV in comparison nearly all other groups; and (6) surprisingly, the individual effect of being a queer woman is not significantly related to the likelihood of gender- or sexuality-based DHV—however, being a White queer woman decreases the likelihood of gender-based DHV.
