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The Role Of Butch Identity In A Model Of Self-Esteem Among Sexual Minority Women, Katherine Ruth Hiestand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the relationship of butch gender identity to perceived social support, level of outness, lesbian internalized homophobia, and self-esteem. Previous research has supported relationships between perceived social support, level of outness, lesbian internalized homophobia, and self-esteem in sexual minority women; this study explored these relationships specifically in masculine-identified lesbians. Using data obtained from an Internet survey on lesbian gender identity, a subset (N = 191) was composed of individuals who considered themselves masculine and who identified as butch (127; 66.5%) and those who did not identify as butch (64; 33.5%). A path analysis was conducted to determine what …