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

• Published in: Revija za sociologiju
• Main Authors: Kamenov, Željka, Huić, Aleksandra, Jelić, Margareta
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Croatian Sociological Association 2019
• Subjects: attitudes towards gay and lesbian parental rights; gender identity; gender-role attitudes; Croatian citizens; socio-demographic characteristics; stavovi o pravu na roditeljstvo gejeva i lezbijki; rodni identitet; stavovi prema rodnim ulogama; hrvatski građani; sociodemografska obilježja; sami
• Online Access: https://hrcak.srce.hr/225764; https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/329030

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 left-oriented 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. Osnovni cilj istraživanja bio je ispitati ulogu rodnog identiteta i stava prema rodnim ulogama u objašnjavanju stava prema pravu lezbijki i gejeva na roditeljstvo, s obzirom na to da nenormativne seksualne orijentacije dovode u pitanje binarnu i hijerearhijski organiziranu predodžbu odnosa između muškaraca i žena. Dodatni cilj bio je provjeriti jesu li sociodemografske karakteristike koje su se pokazale važnim prediktorima stavova prema homoseksualnim osobama, poput dobi, stupnja obrazovanja, religioznosti i političkog opredjeljenja, također odrednice podržavanja prava gejeva i lezbijki na roditeljstvo te hoće li se rodni identitet i stav prema rodnim ulogama pokazati odrednicama ovog stava i nakon što se njihov utjecaj kontrolira. Istraživanje je provedeno internetskom anketom tijekom proljeća 2014. godine, a u njemu su sudjelovale 992 heteroseksualne osobe iz Hrvatske oba spola (70% žena) u dobi od 18 do 79 godina. Rezultati pokazuju da sudionici/e manje podržavaju roditeljska prava gej muškaraca u odnosu na roditeljska prava lezbijki te da žene imaju pozitivnije stavove nego muškarci prema roditeljskim pravima i gejeva i lezbijki. U skladu s očekivanjima, prava lezbijki i gejeva na roditeljstvo više podržavaju manje religiozne osobe i sudionici lijevog političkog opredjeljenja, kao i sudionici/e koji žive u izvanbračnoj zajednici u odnosu na one u braku. Dob i stupanj obrazovanja nisu se pokazali prediktivnima, ali ni rodni identitet. Pokazalo se, međutim, da, u skladu s očekivanjima, negativniji stav prema pravu na roditeljstvo lezbijki i gejeva imaju osobe s tradicionalnijim stavom prema rodnim ulogama te sudionici/e koji su i sami roditelji.