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

Abstract

During the last decade in Portugal, there have been political changes regarding the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, such as the right to marry. However, parenting by same-sex couples is not legally recognized, and there are legal impediments for same-sex parents to adopt a child. The purpose of this study was to assess Portuguese heterosexuals’ attitudes toward same-sex parenting and the reasoning behind them. 993 participants (266 males and 727 females), aged between 18 and 69 years with a mean age of 34, responded to one of three online questionnaires using a quasi-experimental methodology: each questionnaire included a case vignette depicting a heterosexual, a gay, or a lesbian couple wishing to adopt a child. Participants were then asked to evaluate if the couple would be fit to adopt and if they anticipated any social and emotional problems with the child. Results revealed that participants evaluated more favorably the heterosexual couple than did the same-sex couples. Furthermore, participants consistently anticipated more children’s social and emotional problems if they were adopted by a gay or a lesbian couple. Group differences revealed that men evaluated less favorably gay and lesbian couples than women did. Religious affiliation also revealed that catholic people were less favorable toward gay and lesbian adoption than atheist people were. Implications of these findings will be discussed.