Gay men, Companion Animals, and Masculine Identity

Abstract

Gay men experience higher levels of psychological distress and may be victims of stigma and discrimination. Research suggests that gay men who internalise society’s ideals of masculinity develop more negative feelings about being gay. Another body of evidence suggests that bonding with companion animals might be involved in enhancing self-esteem, staving off the negativity resulting from social rejection, and improving human psychological wellbeing. Combining these notions, how gay men’s conflict due to masculine ideals relates to bonding with companion animals, has yet to be explored. The present study considers how attachment to companion animals relates to masculine gender role conflict and negative feelings about being gay. A convenience sample was recruited through advertisements in social media and self-identified gay men (N=397) completed an on-line cross-sectional survey. In general, participants were highly educated gay men, with the majority being owners of dogs and/or cats. Results indicate that stronger levels of attachment to companion animals were associated with lower levels of conflict about masculine ideals (p <.05) and fewer negative feelings about being gay (p <.05). Stronger levels of emotional intimacy with companion animals were associated with lower levels of conflict about expressing emotions to other people (p <.05). This study presents evidence to suggest that attachment to companion animals may have implications for improving psychological wellbeing in gay men, as companion animals could be: (a) serving as a form of social support for their owners; (b) contributing to gay men’s self-acceptance; and/or (c) enhancing gay men’s abilities to express their emotions.