For bisexual men, getting flak from the gay community actually leads to better mental health because it pushes them to be more open about who they are.
PsyArXiv · March 17, 2026 · uwaq4_v2
The Takeaway
While prejudice is generally harmful, negativity from the gay community paradoxically triggers a 'visibility' response in bisexual men. This increased 'outness' then acts as a protective factor for mental health that can outweigh the initial stress of the prejudice.
From the abstract
Bisexual cisgender men experience stigma from both straight and LGBTQ+ communities, yet the sources and pathways of harm are rarely disaggregated. We examined how bi-negativity from straight and gay communities relates to sexual identity visibility (outness), mental health and well-being, and body dissatisfaction. In a pre-registered study of UK-based bisexual cisgender men (N = 200; 80.5% White), participants completed measures of bi-negativity, sexual identity visibility, mental health and wel