Attitudes towards Gay and Lesbian Parental Rights among Heterosexual Croatian Citizens: The Effect of Traditional Gender-Role Attitudes

Abstract

Non-normative sexual orientations question the binary and hierarchically organised image of men-women relations. The main goal of this research was to explore the role of gender identity and gender-roles attitudes in predicting attitudes towards same-sex parenting. An additional goal was to assess whether socio-demographic variables such as age, education, religiosity and political preferences-which proved to be relevant in predicting homonegativity-would also predict attitudes towards same-sex parenting. Finally, the authors explored whether gender identity and gender-role attitudes bore an effect on attitudes towards same-sex parenting after controlling for the socio-demographic variables. An online survey with 992 heterosexual participants of both genders (70% women) aged 18 to 79 years was conducted in Croatia in 2014. Participants expressed less support for gay than for lesbian parenting, with female participants expressing more positive attitudes towards both gay and lesbian parenting than male ones. Expectedly, same-sex parenting was more supported by less religious and politically more leftoriented participants, as well as those who cohabitate compared to married participants. Age and education, but also gender identity, did not prove predictive. However, the expectations about the role of traditional gender norms were confirmed. Participants with more traditional gender-role attitudes, as well as those who are parents themselves, expressed more negative attitudes towards same-sex parenting.

Evaluations of Parenting by Same-Sex vs Different-Sex Couples among Heterosexual University Students: Experimental Between-Subjects Vignette Design Study

“…Social and labour rights are related exclusively to adults, while family rights include children's lives. These results reflect the experiences of existing LGB parented families in Croatia who encounter positive reactions in schools, kindergartens or neighbours at a micro-level (Maričić et al, 2016), but the dominant climate remains anti-samesex parenting (Huić, Jugović and Kamenov, 2015;Kamenov, Huić and Jelić, 2019;Takács and Szalma, 2013). Another explanation for these results is also possible.…”

“…When explaining their opposition to gays and lesbians as parents, emerging adults aged 22 to 30 stated their concerns about the child's wellbeing, unwillingness of society to accept families with LGBT parents, lack of the "other" gender in the child's development and a general attitude about LGBT parenthood as unnatural (Jugović and Ogresta, 2017). In research involving students (Huić, Jugović and Kamenov, 2015) and the general population (Kamenov, Huić and Jelić, 2019), the majority supported social and labour rights for lesbians and gays but were far less willing to support the rights regarding family -adoption and marriage.…”

“…Previous research in Croatia was mostly conducted using correlational design and has been focussed on traditional and modern prejudice about gays and lesbians as well as support for their rights (e.g. Huić, Jugović and Kamenov, 2015;Kamenov, Huić and Jelić, 2019). In order to complement the previous findings, this study aimed to research the evaluations of same-sex parenting and child's behaviour among heterosexual and cisgender 1 students by varying parent's behaviour towards the child, active parent's gender and family composition (different-sex vs same-sex couple), using a vignette study design.…”

Pathways to Parenthood among LGBTIQ People in Croatia: Who Wants to Become a Parent and How?

“…homophobic, with LGBTIQ people facing prejudice and discrimination. Studies on attitudes about the civil rights of gays and lesbians show that the general public (Kamenov, Huić and Jelić, 2019) but also student populations (Huić, Jugović and Kamenov, 2015) are less supportive regarding the rights referring to family protection in comparison to labour and social rights. However, these attitudes could change in the years to come according to research showing that the introduction of same-sex partnership legislation into European countries could lead to a decrease in anti-gay/lesbian attitudes (Takács and Szalma, 2001).…”

Motivation for Parenthood among LGBTIQ People in Croatia: Reasons for (not) Becoming a Parent

“…These topics are still understudied worldwide, especially in the contexts outside of North America and Western Europe. Therefore, this study aims to broaden our understanding of the reasons for and against parenthood among LGBTIQ people in Croatia, where legal barriers to parenthood for same-sex couples are still strong, and where prejudice and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity are common (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2014;Huić, Jugović and Kamenov, 2015;Kamenov, Huić and Jelić, 2019;Vučković Juroš, Dobrotić and Zrinščak, 2015;Vučković Juroš, 2019).…”