Through the Lens of Sexual Stigma: Attitudes Toward Lesbian and Gay Parenting

ABSTRACT

Drawing from the literature on sexual stigma, the principal aim of this study was to investigate predictors of heterosexual's internalization of negative attitudes regarding lesbian and gay parenting and the mediating role of beliefs in the controllability of homosexuality. A Portuguese sample of 1,430 heterosexual women and 502 heterosexual men responded to an online questionnaire about attitudes toward lesbian and gay parenting. Structural equation modeling was used to explore attitudinal predictors and mediation analysis. Mediation analyses revealed that sexual prejudice toward same-gender-parented families was predicted by gender, age, education, and religiosity, in that heterosexual men, those who were older, had less education, and were more religious held significantly more negative beliefs about lesbian and gay parenting, as well as lower perception of benefits associated with lesbian and gay parenting. Further, etiological beliefs mediated the effects of gender, age, and religiosity on sexual attitudes, highlighting the importance of the perception of controllability of homosexuality in justifying sexual prejudice.

KEYWORDS:

• GLBTQ parenting
• same-gender relationships
• heterosexism
• homophobia
• origins of homosexuality

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge Kevin Pels for his language editing.

Funding

This study was funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the form of a fellowship (SFRH/BD/60450/2009) awarded to the first author. Fundaça˜o para a Cieˆncia e a Tecnologia.