ABSTRACT
Notice number: NOT-MD-19-001. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations have among the highest
rates of alcohol use, hazardous drinking, and use disorders in the United States. A large body of literature
suggests that stigma and minority stress are primary factors driving SGM inequities. SGM stigma is the social
process of labeling, stereotyping, and rejecting human difference as a form of social control and it operates at
three levels: (1) Structural stigma (e.g., societal norms and institutional laws and practices that limit the
resources of stigmatized people); (2) Interpersonal stigma (e.g., verbal harassment and physical violence); and
(3) Individual stigma (e.g., the feelings people hold about themselves or the beliefs they perceive others hold
about them that may shape anticipation and avoidance of discrimination). Crucial gaps remain in the literature
of SGM stigma and alcohol use. First, structural stigma has largely been measured and examined at the
national or state level. Yet, structural stigma experienced at the local level (e.g., city policies) may be crucial in
understanding the mechanisms by which stigma influences SGM health. To date, research on the associations
between local structural stigma and alcohol use is limited. Second, studies have yet to examine how structural
stigma is associated with interpersonal and individual stigmas. Third, scant research has examined how the
intersections of these stigmas impact SGM alcohol inequities. We therefore propose to investigate the
relationships of local structural stigma and experiences of discrimination with SGM young adults' alcohol use
and related problems. The study will be conducted in 33 midsized cities in California that contain significant
variation in participants' exposure to local structural sigma. To assess local structural stigma, including its
specific components (e.g., law enforcement, municipal benefits and protections to LGBTQ employees), we will
use information and ratings assessed by the Human Rights Campaign. Fourteen consecutive daily surveys
with 792 SGM young adults (ages 18-29, 24 per city, for a total of 7,084 estimated data points) will be used to
assess participants' day-to-day experiences with stigmas and alcohol use outcomes. A baseline survey will
assess demographics, alcohol use, experiences with discrimination, and constructs of minority stress. Since
gender minorities (GM), cisgender sexual minorities (SM) women, and young people of different racial/ethnic
groups may experience higher levels of stigma than other SGM groups, it is necessary to consider differences
within SGM populations. The specific aims are to: (1) Assess associations of local structural SGM stigma and
experiences of interpersonal discrimination with alcohol use, hazardous drinking, and alcohol-related problems
(e.g., alcohol use disorder symptoms), (2) Examine the mechanisms through which local structural,
interpersonal, and individual stigmas are associated with alcohol use, hazardous drinking, and alcohol-related
problems, and (3) Explore whether the results for Aim 1 differ by cisgender SM men, cisgender SM women,
GM populations, and Latinxs. We focus on Latinx SGMs as the largest racial/ethnic group in California (~40%).