Social Identity, Contact Frequency, and Bias Against Asexual and Nonbinary People in the LGBTQ+ Community

Prior research on the relation between frequency of contact with asexual people and anti-asexual bias yields inconsistent findings, and research on attitudes toward nonbinary people is extremely limited. No studies have assessed the extent to which viewing asexual or nonbinary people as part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community is associated with anti-asexual bias or anti-nonbinary bias, respectively, within the LGBTQ+ community. This two-study manuscript builds on existing research and addresses gaps in the literature. Based on Social Identity Theory and Contact Theory, the aims of the studies were to understand the associations between anti-asexual bias (Study 1) or anti-nonbinary bias (Study 2) within the LGBTQ+ community and (a) the extent to which LGBTQ+ people viewed asexual/nonbinary people as part of the LGBTQ+ community, (b) the strength of LGBTQ+ people’s LGBTQ+ identity, and (c) LGBTQ+ people’s contact with asexual/nonbinary people. 317 LGBTQ+ participants completed an online survey on attitudes toward asexual people, and 306 LGBTQ+ people completed a survey on attitudes toward nonbinary people. Multiple regression revealed that the extent to which LGBTQ+ people viewed asexual/nonbinary people as part of the LGBTQ+ ingroup was significantly negatively associated with anti-asexual/anti-nonbinary bias and moderated the relation between the strength of LGBTQ+ people’s identity and anti-asexual/anti-nonbinary bias. Contact frequency had a small, significantly positive association with anti-asexual bias but was not significantly associated with anti-nonbinary bias. This work concludes with implication for theory.