Intersectional belonging and the social cure: Identity centrality as a pathway to well-being for Black LGBTQ+ adults

Black LGBTQ+ adults navigate a unique social location characterised by synergistic stressors, yet the specific psychological mechanisms that translate community resources into resilience remain under-theorised. Grounded in the Social Cure framework and Intersectionality Theory, this study examined whether identity centrality mediates the relationship between Black LGBTQ+ community belongingness and subjective well-being. A cross-sectional survey was administered to a U.S.-based sample of Black LGBTQ+ adults (N = 345). Black LGBTQ+ community belongingness was significantly and positively associated with subjective well-being, and identity centrality emerged as a significant indirect pathway indicating that belongingness supports well-being by reinforcing the centrality of the intersectional identity to the self-concept. A parallel mediation model further clarified that this protective pathway operates through identity consolidation rather than through reduced exposure to intersectional microaggressions, distinguishing identity-based mechanisms from stress-reduction mechanisms. Intersectional microaggressions, and both suburban and urban residence, were negatively associated with well-being, while older age was a positive predictor. The findings support the Social Cure hypothesis and suggest that identity centrality functions as a protective anchor that must be nurtured within affirming contexts to buffer against intersectional stigma.