Scope and Method of Study:

A qualitative design was employed to study the gap in the psychological literature on how gay men internalize messages from gay culture about appearance. Twelve openly gay men were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol. The men represented varied ages (from 21 to 45 years old), length of being out, educational attainment, occupations and body types. All data was fully transcribed and coded. Researcher bias was addressed by oversight of the research process by an additional researcher, grounding conclusions heavily in the data and by constant checking of findings with the research participants.

Findings and Conclusions:

Much of the literature on gay men's body image focuses on the negatives of body dissatisfaction and gay men's apparent greater vulnerability to eating disorders. This study confirms both of those findings. Several men in this study reported a history of eating disorders, and many of the men expressed some level of dissatisfaction with their bodies. Gay men's body image is not limited to these two issues. Based on the findings of this study, gay men's body image represents group cohesion. There are smaller groups within the larger gay community, and one's appearance determines group membership. Because appearance is so closely related to group identity, body image is an import issue in understanding the psychology of gay men.