Do Not Judge Inner Experience, but Be Mindful: Dispositional Mindfulness, Internalized Sexual Stigma, and Positive Identity in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual People

Introduction: Research showed that dispositional mindfulness has positive associations with LGB people’s well-being and is negatively associated with internalized sexual stigma. However, previous research has investigated the role of dispositional mindfulness in the development of LGB individuals’ positive acceptance of their own sexual identity is still limited. This study aims to investigate the association between dispositional mindfulness, internalized sexual stigma, and positive identity in LGB individuals. Methods: Three hundred fifty-six Italian cisgender LGB participants responded to a self-reported questionnaire from the end of 2022 to May 2023. We administered the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the measure of internalized sexual stigma, and the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Positive Identity Measure, as well as other background and socio-demographic variables. Results: Dominance analyses showed that the non-judging facet of dispositional mindfulness negatively predicted LGB people’s internalized sexual stigma and was strongly associated with the authenticity dimension of LGB people’s positive identity; no other mindful facets or variables were implied in this association. Conclusions: A mindful, non-judging attitude toward one’s inner experience might contribute to reducing LGB people’s internalized sexual stigma and favoring their positive acceptance of sexual identity, leading to a sense of authenticity. Policy Implications: Enhancing dispositional mindfulness might have important positive effects in order to alleviate adverse impacts of minority stress and improve LGB people’s well-being, contributing to helping them navigate stigmatizing contexts better.