Discrimination, Internalized Homonegativity, and Attitudes Toward Children of Same‐Sex Parents: Can Secure Attachment Buffer Against Stigma Internalization?

Abstract

With increasing numbers of same-sex couples raising children in the United States, discriminatory attitudes toward children of same-sex parents (ACSSP) are of increasing concern. As with other forms of stigma and discrimination, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are at risk for internalizing these societal attitudes, which can negatively affect parenting-related decisions and behaviors and the mental and physical health of their children. Secure attachment is characterized by positive views of the self as loveable and worthy of care that are understood to develop in early relationships with caregivers. Secure attachment has been associated with positive mental and physical health, including among LGB individuals and couples. This study aimed to test the potential buffering role of secure attachment against stigma internalization by examining associations among secure attachment, discrimination, internalized homonegativity (IH), and ACSSP in an online survey study of 209 U.S. adults in same-sex relationships. Bootstrap analyses supported our hypothesized moderated mediation model, with secure attachment being a buffer. Greater discrimination was indirectly associated with more negative ACSSP through greater IH for individuals with mean or lower levels, but not for individuals with higher than average levels of secure attachment, specifically because among those with higher levels of secure attachment, discrimination was not associated with IH. These findings build on and extend past research, with important implications for future research and clinical work with LGB individuals, same-sex couples, and their families, including potential implementation of interventions targeting attachment security.

Sexism and Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Parenting in a Sample of Heterosexuals and Sexual Minorities: the Mediation Effect of Sexual Stigma

“…In an Italian sample of lesbian women and gay men, Pacilli et al (2011) demonstrated that high levels of ISS and political conservatism led to a more negative attitude toward same-sex parenting. Other studies (Frost 2011;Trub et al 2016) have confirmed that a high degree of ISS, low self-disclosure to family, political conservatism, and low education are positively correlated with a negative attitude toward same-sex family legalization in lesbian women and gay men. Another variable that could influence negative attitudes toward same-sex parenting is sexism since they are correlated to discriminatory and heterosexist tendencies based on the conformity to traditional gender belief systems (Lingiardi et al 2012;Whitley 2001).…”

“…Studies have shown that even lesbians and gay men, like heterosexuals, may have negative attitudes toward same-sex marriage (Baiocco, Argalia, & Laghi 2012;Doyle, Rees, & Titus 2015;Egan & Sherrill 2005;Tamagawa 2016), samesex parenting, and the development of children who grow up in same-sex families Petruccelli, Baiocco, Ioverno, Pistella, & D'Urso 2015;Trub, Quinlan, Starks, & Rosenthal 2016). The majority of studies showed that greater ISS was associated with more negative attitudes toward same-sex marriage and same-sex parenting in sexual minorities (Baiocco et al 2012;Pacilli et al 2011;Trub et al 2016). In an Italian sample of 197 lesbian women and 176 gay men, Baiocco et al (2012) found that about half of the participants with a high level of ISS expressed a negative attitude toward samesex marriage.…”

Stigma Experiences, Mental Health, Perceived Parenting Competence, and Parent–Child Relationships Among Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Adoptive Parents in the United States

“…Additionally, most of the adoptive parents in this sample lived in urban areas and therefore may have greater access to LG-affirming services Goldberg et al, 2013), which may explain why no significant differences emerged in stigma or homonegative microaggressions by coast (East versus West) or urbanicity (rural versus urban). Another possibility is that it is not necessarily the stigma or microaggressions per se that relate to individual health and parenting outcomes, but rather the internalization of stigma and the appraisal of microaggression experiences that may have greater impact, as supported by previous research among LG adults, including those who are parents (Goldberg and Smith, 2011;Tornello et al, 2011;Trub et al, 2017). Indeed, the roles of appraisal and internalization of stigma have been posited as among key mechanisms for how minority stress may negatively affect individual adjustment as well as interpersonal relationships (Hatzenbuehler, 2009;Prendergast and MacPhee, 2018), and experiences of stigma represent one external context that could contribute to family stress that spills over into parenting roles and family relationships (Boss et al, 2016).…”

Supporting Parents: How Six Decades of Parenting Research Can Inform Policy and Best Practice

“…They are, unfortunately, also more likely to face discrimination and continued legal obstacles, types of stress that minority parents also experience (Lavner, Waterman, & Peplau, 2014). However, even when families grapple with racism and discrimination in addition to parenting challenges, parenting support contributes to their resilience (Perrin & Siegel, 2013;Trub, Quinlan, Starks, & Rosenthal, 2017).…”