Intersectionality, minority stress, and social ecological theories have all been important frameworks for understanding mechanisms that create and maintain sexual and gender minority health disparities. In this study, we integrated these frameworks to guide a grounded theory examination of identity-related experiences in specific settings among 33 Black, White, and Latino young sexual minority cisgender men who lived in Chicago. Analyses identified four key categories: Racism Manifests in Context- and Sexual Minority-Specific Ways, Sexual Orientation Can Mean Feeling Safe and Seen or Threatened and Alone, Gender is a Matter of Self-Expression, and Bodies Are Not Always Made to Fit In. Participants reported both identity-based privilege and marginalization as well as unique forms of minority stress at the intersection of specific identities. Across these categories, participants’ experiences of their intersecting identities and associated forms of minority stress were embodied in their physical appearance, situated in specific neighborhoods and contexts, and co-constructed through their interpersonal interactions with others. Further, participants’ narratives provide powerful insights about the nuanced ways in which young sexual minority men understand and negotiate their lived experiences. Findings highlight how experiences of identity and minority stress are both intersectional and located within specific social ecological contexts, which has important implications for research, clinical practice, and advocacy.

交叉性、少数群体压力和社会生态理论都是理解造成和维持性和性别少数群体健康差异的机制的重要框架。在这项研究中，我们整合了这些框架，以指导对居住在芝加哥的 33 名黑人、白人和拉丁裔年轻的性少数顺性别男性在特定环境中的身份相关经历进行扎根的理论检验。分析确定了四个关键类别：种族主义以特定环境和性少数群体的方式表现出来，性取向可能意味着感到安全和被看到或受到威胁和孤独，性别是自我表达的问题，以及身体并不总是适合。参与者报告了基于身份的特权和边缘化，以及特定身份交汇处的独特形式的少数族裔压力。体现在他们的外表上，位于特定的社区和环境中，并通过他们与他人的人际互动共同构建。此外，参与者的叙述为年轻的性少数男性理解和协商他们的生活经历的微妙方式提供了有力的见解。研究结果强调了身份和少数群体压力的经历是如何相互交叉并位于特定的社会生态环境中的，这对研究、临床实践和宣传具有重要意义。