The Impact of Contact Experience on the Attitudes and Beliefs Toward Same-Sex Parents and Their Children Among Kindergarten Teachers.

Intergroup contact is important to reduce prejudice toward sexual minorities. Yet little is known regarding how kindergarten teachers' contact experiences with sexual minority affect their attitudes toward sexual minorities and their beliefs regarding same-sex family parents' parenting skills and same-sex family children's adjustment. This cross-sectional study recruited kindergarten teachers (n = 261; mean age = 38.8 years) in Taiwan in 2021-2022. A self-reported online questionnaire was administered which included questions about quantity and quality of contact experiences with lesbians, gay men (LG) and same-sex families, attitudes toward same-sex families, beliefs regarding same-sex parenting skills, and children's adjustment. Hierarchical multiple regression was used for analysis. The results showed that higher quality of contact with LG was associated with lower prejudice toward LG and with a more positive belief regarding same-sex parents' parenting skills and children's adjustment in same-sex families. The contact experience with same-sex families has an association with positive beliefs regarding same-sex family parents and children. After adjustment of quality of contact, quantity of contact did not show association with attitude toward LG or beliefs regarding same-sex family parents and children. The findings suggest that the quality of contact experience with LG is an important factor to reduce the stereotype against same-sex families.

Difficulties With Methodology in Social Science Research With Controversial Issues Regarding Human Sexuality.

Social science is commonly used in debates about controversial issues, especially for those concerning human sexuality. However, caution must be exercised in interpreting such social science literature, because of a variety of methodological and theoretical weaknesses that are not uncommon. Families are complex structurally and over time; such data are not easily analyzed. Merely determining the number of, for example, sexual minority families has been a difficult task. While some new theories are popular with social scientists, for example, sexual minority theory, they are often used to the exclusion of other, equally valid theories and often are not well tested empirically. Some types of families remain relatively unexamined. Social scientists can be biased by their own values, which are reflected in weak use of theory and in a variety of methodological problems. Eight studies are presented as examples of probable confirmation bias, in which methods and theory were modified in unusual ways that may have affected the outcomes and conclusions. Suggestions for improving social science include greater attention to effect sizes rather than statistical significance per se, deliberately minimizing the politicization of science, developing a culture of humility with respect to social science, deliberately reducing common biases, and maintaining a deeper curiosity about social science than is often seen. Scientists must be open to seeing their best "sacred cow" ideas or theories disproven or modified with increases in research on such issues. Summary: In controversial areas of social science, there can be numerous threats to the validity of science. Here, some of the more common risks for social science research and theory are examined, with several specific illustrations of how bias appears to have crept into social science, often as confirmation bias. Recommendations are made for reducing bias in future research.

Same-sex mothers' experiences of equal treatment, parenting stress and disclosure to offspring: a population-based study of parenthood following identity-release sperm donation.

STUDY QUESTION: What are the experiences of same-sex mothers following identity-release sperm donation regarding equal treatment in society, parenting stress and disclosure to child? SUMMARY ANSWER: Mothers predominantly reported equal treatment in society, low levels of parenting stress and early disclosure of the donor conception to the child, and half of the couples had also informed the child of his/her right to obtain the donor's identity. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: The number of two-mother families is increasing, and previous studies have reported about challenges related to heteronormativity, discrimination and the status of the non-birth mother. Same-sex mothers have been found to disclose the child's donor conception earlier than different-sex parents, but little is known regarding disclosure of the child's right to obtain identifying information about the donor. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: The present study concerns the fourth wave of data collection of a nation-wide longitudinal study. A total of 143 same-sex mothers (73% response rate) following identity-release sperm donation completed individual surveys when their donor-conceived child had reached age 7. These women represent a total of 82 couples who had undergone sperm donation treatment. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The study is part of the longitudinal Swedish Study on Gamete Donation (SSGD). Couples accepted for gamete donation treatment at seven Swedish University hospitals were recruited between 2005 and 2008 and were requested to complete postal surveys during four waves of data collection. The present study sample includes same-sex mothers who completed a survey when their donor-conceived child had reached 7 years of age. Data were collected with the Swedish Parenting Stress Questionnaire (SPSQ), and study-specific items on experiences of treatment in society and disclosure behavior. Group comparisons (birth mothers vs non-birth mothers) were conducted using Chi2-tests, independent t-tests and Mann-Whitney U-tests, and written comments provided for open-response items were analyzed by qualitative content analysis. MAIN RESULTS AND ROLE OF CHANCE: The mothers were generally open about the child's donor conception and the large majority (>80%) reported being treated positively and in the same way as other parents. However, satisfaction with treatment in health care settings was significantly lower than that reported in contacts with the child's school and recreational activities (P < 0.001) and open-response comments indicate that this may be related predominantly to heteronormative language and assumptions. Birth mothers and non-birth mothers reported similar treatment in society and similar levels of parenting stress. All but one couple had already talked with their 7-year-old child about his/her conception with donor sperm. Half of the couples had also informed the child about his/her opportunity to obtain identifying information about the donor, and remaining couples planned later disclosure. Children's reactions were generally described as neutral, positive or characterized by interest and curiosity. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The present study was performed within the context of the Swedish legislation on identity-release donation, which limits the generalizability to same-sex couples using anonymous or known sperm donors. Although no evidence of attrition bias was found, it is possible that those couples who initially declined participation in the SSGD (23%) or dropped out at the fourth wave of data collection (27%) differ from the study sample in terms of variables that we were unable to control for. WIDER IMPLICATION OF THE FINDINGS: The present finding that most same-sex mothers in a population-based sample experience equal treatment in society is encouraging and validates previous results from predominantly qualitative studies. Nevertheless, the fact that a subgroup experiences discrimination and less favorable treatment indicates that further action is needed, particularly in child health care settings. The present study is the first to report on the timing of parents' disclosure of the child's right to identifying donor information and suggests that disclosure during preschool ages is feasible and does not appear to be related to negative consequences. In view of the increased availability and use of identity-release donation, there is a pressing need to investigate parents' intentions, behaviors and needs with regard to talking with their child about his/her opportunity to obtain the donor's identity. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): Financial support from the Swedish Research Council (2013-2712) and the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (2014-00876). There are no conflicts of interest to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

The best interest of children born through medically assisted procreation procedures as construed in 2021 Italian Constitu- tional Court rulings 32 and 33.

ABSTRACT: The authors have set out to briefly analyze the 2021 Constitutional Court rulings n.32 and 33, regarding the situation of children born in, or otherwise being raised by, same-sex couples. Such judgments address the problem by taking into account the fundamental principle of the child's best interests. This article is meant to highlight the issues that may arise if such interests were to be translated into specific law provisions or safeguards for the children's sake. Moreover, the authors aimed to focus on the valuable elements laid out in the Court rulings, while also highlighting the more critical and controversial elements therein.

Mental Health of Lesbian, Bisexual, and Other-Identified Parents and Non-Parents from a Population-Based Study.

Studies have compared sexual minority mothers (mostly lesbian) to heterosexual mothers on mental health, but little research has compared sexual minority women with and without children. This was the first study to compare sexual minority women who did or did not have children, using a population-based sample with three age cohorts. Unlike prior convenience studies, this study finds parents more likely to be bisexual, in a relationship with a man, and non-urban. Bisexual parents scored higher than lesbian parents on psychological distress and lower on life satisfaction and happiness; they also reported less connection to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Among lesbians, the oldest non-parents reported more happiness and less psychological distress than the youngest non-parents. Parents with other identities perceived more social support from friends and reported lower levels of internalized homophobia than bisexual parents. The results will help professionals and policymakers understand how parenthood status affects women across sexual identities.

The Role of Sexual Prejudice and Aetiology Beliefs in the Italians' Attitudes Toward Adoption by Same-Sex Couples.

Research found that those who believe sexual orientation is inborn have generally positive attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women. However, other studies have also found that these beliefs could include negative eugenic ideas. This study aims to investigate the role of people's beliefs about the aetiology of sexual orientation in attitudes toward adoption for both gay and lesbian couples in Italy. We hypothesized that this relationship would be mediated by sexual prejudice. To test the predictions, 256 Italian heterosexual participants were asked to answer questions on a scale about their beliefs regarding the aetiology of sexual orientation, sexual prejudice, and attitudes toward adoption by same-sex couples. Results confirmed that the relationship between aetiology beliefs and support for adoption by gay and lesbian couples was fully mediated by sexual prejudice. These results suggest that the belief that sexual orientation is controllable may serve to justify one's prejudice and, in turn, result in a lower support for same-sex couples' adoption.

Contrastando opiniões acerca da adoção de crianças por casais hétero e homossexuais / Contrasting opinions about children adoption by heterosexual and homosexual couples / Contraste de opiniones sobre la adopción de niños por parejas hetero y homosexuales

Apesar de haver um contexto aparentemente favorável e de crescente reconhecimento pelo sistema jurídico brasileiro referente à adoção por casais homossexuais, constitui-se em equívoco afirmar que a manifestação do preconceito e da discriminação frente aos homossexuais esteja reduzindo no Brasil. Tendo em vista tal cenário, o presente estudo objetivou contrastar as opiniões de uma amostra brasileira acerca da adoção por casais homossexuais, frente a um arranjo heterossexual estéril. Para tanto, contou-se com uma amostra da população geral composta por 484 adultos brasileiros (média de idade = 26,6; DP = 8,31, 62,0% feminino), que responderam um questionário sociodemográfico e a duas questões abertas contendo dois cenários de adoção, compostos por casais heterossexuais estéreis e casais homossexuais. A partir da análise de Classificação Hierárquica Descendente, realizada no software Iramuteq, identificou-se a presença de cinco classes no cenário de adoção por casais heterossexuais estéreis (agravantes, desenvolvimento normal, educação, solidariedade e responsabilidade) e no cenário de adoção por casais homossexuais (preconceito, oposição, contexto de favorabilidade, lar amoroso e desenvolvimento infantil). Os resultados apontaram diferentes padrões de aceitação/oposição em função do tipo de configuração parental da família adotante. Tais resultados são discutidos considerando as implicações de normas sociais de padrão hetero-cis-normativo, ressaltando-se a necessidade de dispositivos jurídicos, em forma de lei, que amparem os direitos civis de casais homossexuais no Brasil.(AU)

Despite the seemingly favorable context and growing recognition regarding adoption by same-sex couples by the Brazilian legal system, these factors do not allow us to rightfully infer that prejudice and discrimination against homosexuals are decreasing in this country. Considering that, this study aimed to contrast opinions about adoption by infertile heterosexual and same-sex couples in a sample of 484 Brazilian adults (mean age = 26.6; SD = 8.31, 62.0% women). Data were collected by means of a demographic questionnaire and two semi-structured questions, presenting adoption in two different scenarios: by either homosexual or infertile heterosexual couples. From a descending hierarchical classification analysis performed using the Iramuteq software, five classes for the aforementioned scenarios were identified: infertile heterosexual (aggravating factors, normal development, education, solidarity, and responsibility) and homosexual couples (prejudice, opposition, favorable environment, loving home, and child development). The results indicate different agreement/disagreement patterns regarding the adopting couple parental configuration, whereby same-sex adoption implied an opposition response pattern whereas infertile heterosexual adoption resulted in more evident favorable positions. These results are discussed in the light of the implications arising from the social norms of heterosexist and cissexist systems, highlighting the importance of legal instruments such as governmental laws that guarantee the civil rights of the homosexual population in Brazil.(AU)

A pesar de un contexto aparentemente favorable y de creciente reconocimiento por el sistema jurídico brasileño en relación a la adopción por parejas homosexuales, es una equivocación decir que la manifestación del prejuicio y de la discriminación hacia los homosexuales se está reduciendo en Brasil. El presente estudio tuvo objetivo contrastar las opiniones de una muestra de la población brasileña con respecto a la adopción de niños por parejas homosexuales cuando comparadas con parejas heterosexuales estériles. Para ello, la muestra fue de 484 brasileños adultos (edad promedia de 26,6; DE = 8,31; 62,0% mujeres), que contestaron a preguntas sociodemográficas y a dos preguntas abiertas sobre dos escenarios de adopción: un con parejas heterosexuales estériles y otro con parejas homosexuales. A partir del análisis de Clasificación Jerárquica Descendente (realizada por el software Iramuteq), se identificó cinco clases para cada escenario: parejas estériles (agravantes, desarrollo normal, educación, solidaridad y responsabilidad) y parejas homosexuales (prejuicio, oposición, contexto de favorabilidad, hogar amoroso y desarrollo infantil). Los resultados indican formas diferentes de aceptación/oposición según el tipo de configuración de las parejas adoptantes. Estos hallazgos son discutidos teniendo en cuenta las implicaciones de normas sociales de estilo hetero-cisnormativo, sugiriendo la necesidad de aparatos jurídicos, en forma de leyes, que soporten los derechos civiles de parejas homosexuales en Brasil.(AU)

Pathways to Fatherhood: Psychological Well-Being Among Israeli Gay Fathers Through Surrogacy, Gay Fathers Through Previous Heterosexual Relationships, and Heterosexual Fathers.

This study explored differences in psychological well-being as assessed by life satisfaction, parenthood satisfaction, depressive symptoms and the Big Five personality dimensions among 219 Israeli fathers; 76 gay men who had become fathers through a heterosexual relationship, 63 gay men who had become fathers through surrogacy, and 78 heterosexual men. After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, gay fathers through surrogacy reported greater satisfaction with parenthood, greater satisfaction with their lives, and reported higher levels of extraversion when compared to heterosexual fathers. No significant differences emerged between the three groups on depressive symptoms, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness to experience. These findings emphasize the predominant similarities and some possible differences on psychological well-being between the different paths to fatherhood. This study is one of the first to compare several paths to fatherhood on psychological well-being, thus illuminating the contribution of fatherhood route to psychological well-being in an era where gay men are increasingly becoming fathers in diverse ways.

Why Multi-Family Groups for Transgender Adolescents and Their Parents?

The author presents a therapeutic approach for contemporary families carried out in an innovative mental health care setting. This approach involves receiving both transgender adolescents and their parents. Initially, the adolescents are brought together in a discussion group. Then, the parents of these adolescents are gathered without their children in order to reflect on family relations and social adaptation and to receive support when needed. Both groups are gathered together a couple of times a year in a multi-family meeting. Using a dynamic based on the principle of free association and the interplay of identifications among participants, the author points out how these groups and multi-family gatherings promote mental health and prevent mental disorders and the disruption of family relations.

Validation of the Beliefs about Children's Adjustment in Same-Sex Families Scale in Italian University Students.

Assessing attitudes toward same-sex parenting has important implications for both intervention and prevention programs designed to foster the tolerance and normality of sexual and family diversity. Few empirically validated measures of rejection of same-sex parenting have been developed. The current study examined the psychometric properties of an Italian translation of the Beliefs about Children's Adjustment in Same-Sex Families Scale, a 14-item scale distributed in two subscales that measure direct and subtle rejection toward same-sex parenting, for its use in assessing heterosexual people's attitudes toward same-sex parents in Italy. The sample consisted of 344 Italian heterosexual university students (113 men) with a mean age of 20.48 years (SD = 1.60). The results showed that the scale has a good factor structure (via confirmatory factor analysis) and satisfactory reliability and acceptable criterion-related validity. Therefore, the BCASSFS can be used to measure opposition toward gay and lesbian parenting in the Italian context.

Father-child attachment in adoptive gay father families.

The attachment security of children in 30 gay father families, 29 lesbian mother families and 38 heterosexual parent families was investigated using the Friends and Family Interview (FFI) at the second phase of a longitudinal study. Children in gay father families showed significantly higher levels of secure-autonomous attachment than children in heterosexual parent families, significantly lower levels of preoccupied attachment than children in either lesbian mother or heterosexual parent families, and significantly lower levels of disorganised attachment than children in heterosexual parent families. For children in gay father families, stepwise multiple regression revealed that neither hyperactivity nor emotional symptoms at Phase 1 were predictive of disorganisation at Phase 2. However, when entered alone, Phase 1 emotional symptoms predicted Phase 2 disorganisation. The results indicate that adopted children in gay father families are at least as likely to be securely attached as children in lesbian mother or heterosexual parent families.

Evaluation of Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Parenting in the Italian Context: Adaptation of a French Questionnaire.

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Italian version of a French scale to detect attitudes toward same-sex parenting. The Italian sample was split into two subsamples. On one, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to detect the factor structure of the Italian scale, and on the other, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was run to find the data's best fit model. The scales' internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. The questionnaire's convergent validity was also evaluated. EFA extracted a four-factor solution, in accordance with the original French scale's validation study. CFA showed that the translated scale had good consistency, similar to that of the original version, showing satisfactory internal consistency for three of four subscales. There will be benefits to further validation studies of the translated scale on the Italian population and it may possibly be innovative and useful in both research and social fields.

Parenting and child-caretaking among black men who have sex with men and associated sexual and reproductive health factors: A brief report.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the prevalence of parenting and child-caretaking among a sample of black men who have sex with men (MSM), as well as associations between parenting roles and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) factors. Parenting and SRH data were derived from a survey of 199 black MSM. Nearly half of the sample reported being a father or father-figure (44.4%), almost a third indicated serving as caretaker of a child (29.1%), and one in five have a biological child (20.1%). Over half of the sample reported at least one of these three parenting/child-caretaking roles (52.5%). Two significant differences were observed for sexual health variables: men with biological children were significantly more likely to report using condoms inconsistently (55.0% vs. 35.7%, p=.026) and engaging in transactional sex work (36.8% vs. 21.0%, p=.041). Given the observed prevalence, parenting and child-caretaking among black MSM warrant further inquiry as factors that may influence SRH outcomes and care utilization. Services and interventions tailored to black MSM should consider these men's potential roles and responsibilities as parents and caretakers of children.

"We Were Among the First Non-traditional Families": Thematic Perceptions of Lesbian Parenting After 25 Years.

In the sixth wave of the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS), when their offspring were 25 years old, the parents were asked to reflect on their most challenging and best experiences raising children in non-traditional families. The responses of 131 parents were interpreted through thematic analysis. The most challenging parenting experiences fell into five major categories: (1) distress about their children's experiences of exclusion, heterosexism, or homophobic stigmatization; (2) family of origin non-acceptance of their lesbian-parent family; (3) the never-ending process of "educating the world about queer parents"; (4) homophobia or hostility toward their non-traditional family; and (5) lack of legal protections for sexual minority parent (SMP) families. Their best parenting experiences included: (1) being role models, leading to a greater acceptance of LGBTQ people; (2) treasuring the LGBTQ parent and family community; (3) teaching their children to appreciate diversity of all types; and (4) witnessing their child's pride in their non-traditional family. Some of these challenges were anticipated by the parents more than a quarter century ago at the time that they were inseminating or pregnant with the index offspring.

Challenging Oedipus in changing families: Gender identifications and access to origins in same-sex parent families created through third-party reproduction.

Socio-cultural changes and advancements in assisted reproduction over the past 40 years have led to a rise in new family forms, including same-sex parent families formed through donor insemination or surrogacy, wherein the loving couple does not coincide with the generative couple and the parents do not embody sexual difference. Can we still understand the gender identification processes and the path of accessing one's origins through the lens of the Oedipal complex? In keeping with the Freudian concepts of "psychosexuality," "primal scene" and "family romance," as well as the more recent developments in psychoanalysis, attachment theory and infant research, this article aims at revisiting the Oedipal "complex" as Oedipal "complexity," which may apply irrespective of parents' anatomical characteristics. However, this "complexity" does not renounce parents' bodies and sexuality as important to children's development. Maintaining the concept of third following the parental couple, and position within generations in the idea of Oedipal complexity, the authors suggest that a child's development pathways will depend not only on the intersection of the child's Oedipal and pre-Oedipal levels, but also on the parents' early relational events and internalisation of their own parental figures, which are not necessarily pre-determined by their gender or sexual orientation.

Attitudes towards same-sex parenting in Italy: the influence of traditional gender ideology.

This study aimed to examine the role of gender ideology, religiosity and political conservatism on attitudes toward same-sex parenting in Italy at a time when same-sex parent families are undergoing attacks from ideological campaigns opposing non-traditional gender roles and families. We collected data from 4,187 heterosexual respondents about attitudes towards two-father and two-mother parenting, homonegativity, attitudes toward traditional masculinity and femininity, religious involvement and political conservatism. We conducted multiple group structural equation model analyses to test whether sex moderated any of the estimated associations among variables. Results showed that traditional beliefs about femininity were directly associated with negative attitudes towards two-mother and two-father parenting, while traditional beliefs about masculinity had a significant direct effect only on two-father parenting. Homonegativity partially mediated the association between religiosity, political conservatism and traditional beliefs about masculinity and femininity on negative attitudes toward both types of same-sex parenting. Gender differences were found for the indirect effects of political conservatism and religiosity on attitudes towards same-sex parenting. The theoretical contributions and implications of the findings are discussed.

Queer families: valuing stories of adversity, diversity and belonging.

The 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey provided an unwelcome reminder that the concepts of queer sexuality and family life continue to be viewed as incompatible by many. However, campaigns in support of marriage equality also provide opportunities to document and disseminate stories of queer belonging within families. This commentary proposes three new ways of understanding and valuing accounts of what family means to LGBTQ communities, based on emerging findings from social research studies. It argues that in post-marriage equality contexts, it is time to learn to accept and to celebrate the differences that exist within every community, including within the diverse forms of families that are made.

Same-Sex Parenting: Identification of Social Representations in a Sample of Portuguese Professionals.

Although international scientific research and the position of professional associations reiterate that the parents' sexual orientation is not a criterion of parenting quality, the social recognition of same-sex parenting remains difficult in Portugal. Given the importance of forensic issues in this field, this study aims to identify the representations of psychologists, social workers, lawyers/attorneys, and judges regarding same-sex parenting. The study involves five homogeneous focus groups with a total of 19 professionals. Content analysis reveals reservations regarding same-sex couples' access to parenting, in particular among lawyers/attorneys. There also emerged narratives that highlight specific competencies in these families and that argue that sexual orientation does not define the quality of parenting. Social narratives are more expressive than scientific knowledge in support of professional representations. These findings have critical implications for professional practice and formation.

A limited market: the recruitment of gay men as surrogacy clients by the infertility industry in the USA.

Gestational surrogacy via egg donation is an expensive - and sometimes ambivalently undertaken - but increasingly popular route to planned fatherhood for some gay men. The surrogacy market in the USA plays an important role for gay men with the financial resources to access these services, as it is currently the only stable, commercial market in which there are legal protections for openly gay men. While a small, ethnographic and qualitative literature on the experiences of gay fathers via surrogacy exists, less is known about the state of the surrogacy industry towards gay men as clients. Here I investigate the surrogacy industry in the USA to ask how welcome gay men are in this market. I do so via a content analysis of patient/client recruitment on infertility clinic and surrogacy agency websites. Content analysis of 547 websites indicates that the majority of infertility clinics (62%) and 42% of surrogacy agencies do not directly advertise or appear to be welcoming to gay men. A minority of gay-friendly clinics and agencies, which cluster geographically, actively recruit gay men, creating a limited but niche market. The unequal recruitment of gay men as infertility clients reflects how normative ideas about gender, sexuality and social class are reproduced in the infertility industry. This, in turn, may impact gay men's procreative consciousness and decision-making about parenting, and exacerbate inequalities around their access to intentional genetic parenthood.