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Abstract
Sexual minorities are exposed to various gay-related and general stressors by virtue of their minority status that increase risk for negative mental and physical health problems. Yet, positive gay-related factors such as ameliorative coping strategies and social supports that may serve promotive functions for sexual minorities functioning have largely been overlooked. The current study sought to address this gap by examining the association between gay community connectedness and internalizing symptoms over eight weeks within a sample of self-identified gay men, as well as the conditions under which gay community connectedness is associated with more positive functioning. Findings were generally consistent with minority stress theory and other work examining the benefits of community coping resources in suggesting that gay community connectedness is associated with more positive outcomes among gay men. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.