Parents’ aversion to the possibility of having a gay or lesbian child predicts gendered parenting

Abstract

Gendered parenting refers to parents’ tendency to raise their sons and daughters in accordance with gender stereotypes. Previous research showed that parents’ binary conceptions of gender are associated with gendered parenting. The goal of the current work was to test whether parents’ aversion to the possibility that their child might develop a same-sex orientation – an aversion rooted in a binary view of gender – can explain gendered parenting. Negative emotions towards such a possibility were identified in previous work, however rarely studied quantitatively and have yet to be linked to gendered parenting. We conducted two studies among parents of preschool children across Israel (Study 1) and the US (Study 2). Parents were asked to choose a gift for their child, through which gendered parenting behavior was assessed. We assessed known predictors of gendered parenting that are reflective of a binary view of gender (gender essentialism and gender ideology) and added parental aversion to the possibility of having a gay or lesbian child. We further asked parents to freely explain their responses to one of the gendered parenting indicators. The results, including both qualitative and quantitative analyses, showed that parents’ aversion to the possibility of having a gay or lesbian child, exclusively predicted gendered parenting, over and above predictors identified in previous work. Results are discussed in relation to relevant constructs such as heteronormativity, homophobia, and perceived masculinity.