Recently, scholars have begun to conceptualize oppressive experiences as traumatic events and have advocated that categories of traumatic events be expanded to include experiences of oppression that do not meet the traditional diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Building on this literature, this study explored the relationship between two kinds of heterosexist experiences, one that meets the traditional diagnostic criteria for PTSD (i.e., heterosexist hate crime victimization) and one that does not (i.e., heterosexist discrimination) and lesbians’ PTSD symptoms. Furthermore, it explored the potential moderating and mediating role of self-esteem in the heterosexism–PTSD symptom link. Results revealed that both heterosexist hate crime victimization and heterosexist discrimination were unique and significant positive predictors of lesbians’ PTSD symptoms. Support was found for a partially mediating but not a moderating role of self-esteem in the relationship between heterosexist discrimination and lesbians’ PTSD symptoms.
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