Heterosexuals’ attitudes toward same-sex parenting: The case of Portugal

1. Heterosexuals’ attitudes
toward same-sex parenting:
The case of Portugal
Pedro Alexandre Costa
Ph.D. in Psychology
UIPES-ISPA-IU
University of Beira Interior
pcosta@ispa.pt
Co-authored by: Sara Caldeira, Inês Fernandes, Cláudia
Ph.D. Grant
Rita, Henrique Pereira & Isabel Leal

2. Background
o Although literature has shown that there are no differences in
the developmental outcomes of children raised in gay and
lesbian families when compared to children raised in
heterosexual families;
(Anderssen, Amlie & Ytteroy, 2002; Allen & Burrel, 1996)
o And that there are no differences in the psychological,
emotional, and social adjustment between gay and lesbian
and heterosexual parents; (Bos, van Balen & van
den Boom, 2004, 2005; Patterson, 2006)
 Gay and lesbian families still face discrimination and
oppression in several context, such as Legal, Medical, in
Schools, among others, and experience Violence and
Discrimination in their everyday lives.

3. Background
Attitudes toward gay and lesbian families are based, in
large part, in attitudes toward gay and lesbian people
themselves.
 People who hold more negative attitudes toward gay and
lesbian people are more likely to also hold more sexist
attitudes, traditional beliefs of nuclear families, beliefs of
homosexuality as a choice, to be politically conservative,
to be religion affiliated, and to be male.
(Costa & Davies, 2012; Davies, 2004; Herek, 2000; Kite & Whitley, 1996; Nagoshi, Adams, Terrell, Hill, Brzuzy &
Nagoshi, 2008)

4. Background
 Earlier studies have shown that not only university students
held negative attitudes toward gay and lesbians parents, and
tended to grant custody less to same-sex couples than to
opposite-sex couples, but also to justify these differences
based on a perception of instability of same-sex couples.
(Crawford & Solliday, 1996; Fraser, Fish & Mckenzie, 1995; King & Black, 1999; Money & Cain, 1997)
 More recent studies showed that these attitudes may be
changing. It was observed that attitudes toward gay and
lesbian families are not as negative, but there was a
persistent concern over children’s developmental outcomes,
social adjustment, and development of a homosexual identity.
(Camilleri & Ryan, 2006; Gato, Fontaine & Carneiro, 2010)

5. Hypothesis
1. Are attitudes toward same-sex parents
and different-sex parents different?
2. Are these attitudes different for men and
women?
3. Are these attitudes different based on
religious beliefs?

6. Method
 The purpose of this study was to assess
Portuguese heterosexuals’ attitudes toward
same-sex parenting and the reasoning behind
them.
 Sample was recruited to participate in a larger study
about attitudes toward gay and lesbian parenting.
Participants were contacted by email through LGBT
associations, and by posts in lesbian- and gay-interest
social networks.

7. Participants
N=993
Age: 18–69 years old (M=34; sd=11)
Gender: 27% men, 73% women
Religious beliefs: 55% Catholics; 11% Spiritual; 31%
Atheists
Other characteristics: 55% single, 87% with university
degree; 67% without children; 52% from the most
populated cities.

8. Measures
Using a Quasi-experimental design
o Each participant responded to one of three vignettes
depicting an different-sex couple, a female same-sex
couple, or a male same-sex couple.
o After reading the vignette, participants were asked to
answer to three questions, measured in a 4-point Likert
scale:
1) Do you think that A and B will be good parents?
2) Do you think that if A and B adopt, their child
may have emotional problems?
3) Do you think that if A and B adopt, their child
may be teased or rejected at school?

9. Case Vignette
“John and Will have been a couple for 10 years, committed to
each other and happy. However, they have a strong desire to be
parents, and because they can’t have children they decided to
adopt. John and Will both have a university degree, are
professionally successful, and are beloved by their families and
friends. Both their parents are very excited with the idea of
becoming grandparents, and are available to help them in
whatever they need to welcome the child into the family. John and
Will have a two-bedroom apartment in the same city where they
work. Their friends and colleagues describe them as calm,
available and attentive persons, believing that they both possess
the qualities needed to be good parents. They have some child-caring
experience, especially with John’s nephews. After a lot of
thought about this, they initiated the adoption process and are
going to the meeting with the adoption worker. They are very
excited to fulfill their desire to be parents. They are waiting to be
accepted as candidates to adopt a child.”

10. Results
Hypothesis 1: Are attitudes toward different-sex and same-sex parents
different?
Different-sex couple: 100% definitely would be good parents;
Female same-sex couple: 27% definitely; 68% probably;
Male same-sex couple: 27% definitely; 67% probably;
3x3 ANOVA test results (with Tukey post-hoc tests where
appropriate):
1. No significant differences between the three couples
(p=.055);
2. Significant differences in evaluation of emotional risk for
children in same-sex and in different-sex couples (p<.001);
3. Significant differences in evaluation of social victimization
for children in same-sex and in different-sex couples
(p<.001).

11. Results
Hypothesis 2: Are these attitudes different for men and women?
T-tests results:
1. No significant differences between men and women when
evaluating different-sex couples (p=.097);
2. Men evaluated more negatively male and female same-sex
couples than women (p=.001);
3. Men anticipated more emotional problems in children
raised in same-sex couples than women (p=.001);
4. No significant sex differences in the anticipation of social
problems, but mean was 3, which means both men and
women anticipated victimization for children in same-sex
couples.

12. Results
Hypothesis 3: Are these attitudes different based on religious beliefs?
(Due to sub-groups sizes, only Catholics and Atheists were compared)
T-tests results:
1. No significant differences in evaluation of different-sex
couple;
2. Catholics rated female same-sex couples more negatively
than Atheists (p=.013);
3. Catholics anticipated more emotional difficulties in
children of same-sex couples than Atheists (p=,002;
p<.001);
4. Catholics anticipated more emotional difficulties in
children of female same-sex couples than Atheists (p=.001).

13. Discussion
Results confirmed that there were differences in attitudes
toward same-sex and different-sex families.
 Both Sex and Religious Beliefs were important variables
for attitudes toward same-sex parenting. Heterosexual
Catholic Males revealed the most negative attitudes
toward same-sex families.
 One interesting finding was that there was an evident
concern about the possibility of children in same-sex
families to be victimized or teased by their peers, and
this concern was independent of how participants
evaluated each couple, and of their sex or religious
affiliation.

14. Conclusions
 The study of attitudes and arguments against same-sex families
is important to understand how can society, in general, work to
support these families. In particular, to address the possibility of
children being teased and/or harassed in school because of
their family’s configuration.
 A report by the Council of Europe sustained that the biggest
threat to children’s well-being and stability is the social and legal
discrimination that their families face, as is the case of Portugal.
(Lowe, 2010)
 The study contributed to the much needed reflection
of the social mechanisms that allow for potential
victimization of children and parents to happen.

15. Thank you for your attention!
Any further query or comment, feel free to contact
me
pcosta@ispa.pt