Although previous research has examined associations among masculinity, sexual orientation, minority stress, and mental health, these studies focused exclusively on individuals as units of analysis. This study investigates how men in same-sex relationships uniquely experience minority stress associated with their perceptions and performances of masculinity, as individuals and as couples. Qualitative, dyadic data are drawn from in-depth interviews with 24 male couples (48 partners), discussing two main stress themes—Threatened by Others’ Gender Performances and Straight-acting Masculinity as Individual-level Insulation with Couple-level Challenges. Primary findings are (1) men in same-sex relationships are vulnerable to new forms of minority stress because their relationships increase visibility via others’ masculinity, and (2) being in a same-sex relationship influences partners’ self-perceptions of masculinity and their relationship dynamics. Findings improve insights regarding gender performance in minority stress processes affecting sexual minority men and their intimate relationships with one another. By virtue of their sexual minority and relationship statuses, men in same-sex relationships experience unique, masculinity-related stressors.

中文翻译：

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同性关系中男性的男性气质和少数民族压力

尽管以前的研究已经检查了男性气概，性取向，少数群体压力和心理健康之间的关联，但这些研究仅将个体作为分析单位。这项研究调查了同性关系中的男人如何独特地经历少数群体的压力，这些压力与他们作为男性和夫妻的男性气质的感知和表现有关。定性的二元数据来自对24对男性夫妇（48个伴侣）进行的深入访谈，讨论了两个主要的压力主题：“他人的性别表现威胁”和“直面男性气概”，即个体层面的绝缘和夫妻层面的挑战。主要发现是：（1）同性关系中的男性容易受到新形式的少数群体压力的影响，因为他们的关系通过他人的男性气质增加了知名度，（2）处于同性关系中会影响伴侣对男性气质的自我感知及其关系动态。这些发现改善了关于在影响性少数男人及其彼此之间亲密关系的少数群体压力过程中性别表现的见解。同性关系中的男性由于其性少数和性交状况而遭受与男性气质相关的独特压力源。