Heterosexual Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage: The Influence of Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Parenting

Legal recognition of same-sex marriage is a controversial social issue. Despite a positive shift in attitudes toward gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals, sexual prejudice still exists. Research suggests that religion and religiosity, contact, education, sex, gender ideologies, age, and marital and parental status contribute to biases against sexual minorities. Similar findings have been established for attitudes toward same-sex marriage; however, attitudes toward same-sex marriage have been found to be more complex and resistant to change, suggesting the influence of other factors. One potential influence that has not been investigated is the influence of attitudes toward same-sex parenting on attitudes toward same-sex marriage. Contemporary research indicates that people are still hesitant about same-sex couples raising children, which may influence their attitude about same-sex marriage. Further research to investigate the influence of attitudes toward same-sex parenting on attitudes toward same-sex marriage is warranted, and findings from those studies may be useful in educational settings or promotions for social change.