Given the gendered nature of body dissatisfaction and the especially varied experience of gender expression within lesbian subculture, we investigated how dimensions of lesbians' gender expression and body-gender identity incongruence might account for heterogeneity in lesbian body dissatisfaction. In addition, we examined the potential mediating role of internalization of the thin appearance ideal in the dimensions of gender expression and body dissatisfaction links. Our study of 416 lesbians revealed that more masculine stereotypical traits were a unique negative predictor of body dissatisfaction. In addition, more masculine/butch (i.e., restrictive) emotional expression, higher feminine stereotypical traits, and more body-gender identity incongruence were unique positive predictors of body dissatisfaction. Finally, thin ideal internalization mediated the relations between masculine/butch appearance, masculine/ butch emotional expression, and masculine stereotypical traits and body dissatisfaction. That is, higher levels of masculine/butch appearance and masculine stereotypical traits were related to less thin ideal internalization. In addition, higher levels of masculine/butch emotional expression (i.e., restricted emotionality) were related to more thin ideal internalization. Thin ideal internalization, in turn, was positively related to greater body dissatisfaction. These results highlight the importance of gender expression in identifying lesbians at greater and lesser risk for body image problems.
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