Abstract
Health disparities, imposed by interpersonal and institutional factors, affect the health ofsexual minorities (i.e. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual [LGB] people) in various areas of health,
including cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, sexual health, cancer, mental health, and
substance use, which are oftentimes amplified for LGB people of color (POC).
Nonetheless, why these health disparities exist is less detailed in the literature. Two main
theoretical frameworks explain how and why these health disparities exist for LGB POC:
Minority Stress model and Intersectionality theory. Both frameworks link experiences of
discrimination to negative health outcomes. Intersectional discrimination is often either
subtle discrimination (i.e., microaggressions) or blatant discrimination (e.g., hate crimes)
that targets two or more of an individual’s social identities. The current study examined
associations between intersectional discrimination (i.e., subtle and blatant) and substance
use risk (i.e., alcohol and illicit drugs) through a secondary analysis of data from an
online sample of 296 LGB POC. Blatant intersectional discrimination significantly
predicted both alcohol and drug use risk above and beyond subtle intersectional
discrimination. However, the small effect sizes of these associations warrant caution
when interpreting these findings. Clinical implications and recommendations for future
research are discussed to continue reducing health disparities among LGB POC.