Heterosexual University Students’ Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Couples and Parents Across Seven European Countries

Abstract

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Predictors of Attitudes toward Lesbian and Gay Parenting in an Ecuadorian Sample

“…As an illustration, Costa et al (2015) carried a study using a sample of 1690 Portuguese heterosexual individuals and found that men held higher levels of sexual prejudice toward gay men, lesbians, and LG parented families than women. Heterosexism, rigid and traditional gender roles, and masculine standards regarding virility and male dominance may explain why males express less favorable attitudes (D'Amore et al, 2020;Massey, 2007;Pistella et al, 2018). According to Webb and Chonody (2014), this prescription of gender norms supports a hierarchy between the sexes and parenting roles that lead men to believe that women are naturally more skilled at parenting than men, and that gay fathers are more feminine than those who are not.…”

“…Altogether, these instruments have allowed the expansion of research over the last decade, covering a diverse range of topics and populations including psychologists (Weiner & Zinner, 2015), social workers (Averett & Hegde, 2012), university students (Costa et al, 2014;Vecho et al, 2019) and educators (Baiocco et al, 2020;Hegde et al, 2014;Herbstrith et al, 2013), among others. More recently, studies have started to compare countries and regions around the globe (Costa & Salinas-Quiroz, 2019;D'Amore et al, 2020). D'Amore et al (2020) published the results from a European initiative that gathered data from 13,403 self-identified heterosexual university students from seven countries across Europe (Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain).…”

Psychometric Validation of the Portuguese Version of the Modern Homonegativity Scale among Portuguese College Students

“…Nevertheless, these findings could be explained by the relative influence of religion in Portuguese society. D’Amore et al [ 1 ] conclude that religion is less conservative in some European countries than in others. They also show that the degree of religiousness has an influence on attitudes, with greater religious commitment being related to more negative attitudes.…”

“…In Europe, there are differences in the acceptance given to gay, lesbian and bisexual people. The study carried out by D’Amore et al [ 1 ] compares seven European countries, and places Portugal among those that have the most progressive legislation regarding LGTB matters. This study concludes that the Portuguese population shows a higher level of support of equal marriage rights and same-sex families, as opposed to more politically conservative countries such as Greece or Poland.…”

“…Second, they introduce the concept of modern homonegativity to refer to prejudice that is no longer based so much on moral objections but on ideas that “(1) gay men and lesbians are making illegitimate (or unnecessary) demands for changes in the status quo (e.g., spousal benefits); (2) discrimination against homosexual men and women is a thing of the past; and (3) gay men and lesbians exaggerate the importance of their sexual preference and, in so doing, prevent themselves from assimilating into mainstream culture” ([ 11 ], p. 18).Therefore, the analysis of modern homonegativity goes beyond attitudes of direct and explicit rejection and discrimination (e.g., insults, threats) to focus on more subtle and indirect attitudes [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. This change in the nature of attitudes may be a response to the sociopolitical and legal advances some countries have gone through in recent years [ 1 , 15 ].…”