Experiences of Racialized and Queer Microaggressions and Substance Use: The Moderating Roles of Ethnic Identity and Social Support

This study examines the association between experiences of racialized and queer microaggressions and substance use outcomes among LGBTQ+ men of color. Minority stress theory suggests that chronic exposure to stigma-related stressors increases vulnerability to maladaptive coping behaviors, including substance use. The LGBT People of Color Microaggressions scale (POCMA) will be used to examine two primary predictors: racial microaggressions, capturing race-based discrimination experienced from white queer communities, and heterosexist microaggressions, capturing sexuality-based stigma experienced within communities of color. However, protective psychosocial factors may buffer these effects. This study is a conceptual and analytic replication of Kalinowski et al. (2023), which demonstrated that ethnic identity buffered the association between heterosexist microaggressions and substance use involvement, specifically cannabis use. This study applies the same analytic framework, modeling strategy, and decision rules used by Kalinowski et al., while extending the model to broader racialized and queer microaggressions and additional protective factors (exploratory social support). By holding analytic procedures constant and modifying only the predictors, moderators, and outcome measures, this study allows for direct comparison of minority stress processes across related forms of intersectional stigma.