Abstract
Masculinity is an aspect of one's identity that is precarious in nature and when threatened can lead men to harbour antigay attitudes and respond negatively to members of the LGBT community. However, much of the research examining men's responses to the masculinity threat has predominantly focused on the experiences of heterosexual men. Across two studies, we aimed to understand how masculinity threat impacts gay men's identification with their sexual and gender identities as these identities are often stereotyped to conflict. In Study 1 (N = 110), we found that gay men identified less with their sexual group identity the more they perceived themselves to be masculine after experiencing a threat to their masculinity (i.e., false feedback). However, identification with their gender identity remained unaffected after experiencing a threat to their masculinity. In Study 2 (N = 297), we replicated our findings and demonstrated that experiencing masculinity threat can negatively impact gay men's intentions to advocate for gay and trans rights, and their attitudes towards transgender individuals. The current research provides important insights into how masculinity threat impacts gay men's group identification and the negative consequences regarding intragroup processes within the LGBT community.