Theory, Impact, and Contributing Factors Associated with Sexual Racism within Sexually and Gender Minoritized Communities: A Systematic Review

Sexual racism, as experienced by sexually and gender-minorized (SGM) communities, is an important and increasingly visible phenomenon in the health and social sciences. Sexual racism describes a hierarchy of desirability wherein Whiteness is positioned as the most desired characteristic in an intimate partner, to which racially minoritized groups are juxtaposed, othered, and relegated to a lesser status in comparison. A systematic search was conducted across 16 scholarly databases for English-language publications related to sexual racism among SGM communities. The search and screening process is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 137 publications were included for data extraction. Three research questions were addressed: (a) what theoretical frameworks and methodological strategies have researchers used to examine sexual racism; (b) in what ways and to what degree does sexual racism impact the lives of SGM communities; and (c) what factors are associated with the likelihood of perpetrating, experiencing, or engaging with sexual racism? Results revealed that researchers have largely used intersectionality, minority stress, and sexual fields theory to examine this phenomenon. Both quantitative and qualitative methods have been widely applied, with most research being cross-sectional. Sexual racism is associated with poor health and well-being, though the mechanistic pathways underlying its effects remain underexamined. Characteristics of both physical and digital partner-seeking venues and the ways in which SGM communities actively resist sexual racism were the most prominently featured contributing factors. Implications and avenues for future research on sexual racism are discussed.