Measure of Internalized Sexual Stigma: A Spanish Validation

The term sexual stigma is used as society’s shared belief system through which non heterosexual sexualities, in particular lesbians and gay men, are denigrated, discredited, and invalidated. When lesbians and gay men internalizesociety’s negative ideology about sexual minorities, the result is internalized homonegativity or internalized sexual stigma. Internalized sexual stigma is a significant correlate of mental health and may consistently interfere with the psychological and relational wellbeing of the person. The goal of this study is the adapt and validate the Spanish version of the Measure of Internalized Sexual Stigma for Lesbians and Gay Men (MISS-LG), an instrument that assesses three dimensions of internalized homonegativity: identity, social discomfort, and sexuality. The MISS-LG was translated into Spanish and administrated to a convenience sample of 289 Spanish lesbians and gay male participants. Reliability, factorial structure and convergent validity with depression and disclosure of sexual orientation (family and friends) were evaluated. Results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis supported three identifiable factors reflecting theoretically based constructs of the MISS-LG. The correlations with other instruments demonstrate the convergent validity: lesbian and gay participants with high internalized sexual stigma described lower levels of self-disclosure (family: r = -.51; p < .01; friends: r = -.39; p < .01) and high levels of depression (r = .29; p < .01). The internal consistency was relatively high for the three subscales (Cronbach alpha: range .72 to .91). The MISS-LG can be used as a clinical tool in helping mental health professionals to evaluate the degree of internalized sexual stigma and to implement appropriate interventions with their gay and lesbian clients. In the research area, this instrument can help the scientific community to promote studies supporting gay and lesbian wellbeing and self-esteem, especially in countries with high levels of social sexual stigma.