Parents’ concerns about future reproduction shape their reactions to a child’s sexual orientation disclosure

New research published in Archives of Sexual Behavior found that parental negativity toward their child disclosing a minoritized sexual orientation may be influenced by reproductive concerns.

Previous research has shown that many parents respond negatively when their child comes out as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB), with reactions ranging from disappointment to outright rejection. This negativity has been linked to various risk factors, including parental religiosity, family stress, and traditional views on gender and reproduction. However, most of this research has relied on correlational methodologies, limiting the ability to determine causal relationships.

Danielle J. DelPriore and colleagues sought to explore a potentially modifiable psychological factor that could be influencing these negative reactions: parental concerns about their children’s reproductive outcomes.

Building on evolutionary theory, which suggests that parents are invested in their children’s reproductive success as a way to pass on their genes, the researchers hypothesized that parents might respond negatively to their child’s disclosure of a minoritized sexual orientation because they perceive it as a threat to their child’s reproductive potential.

Previous studies have indicated that same-gender attraction is associated with lower reproductive intentions, which might heighten parental concerns about their own genetic legacy.

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In Study 1, the researchers recruited 386 parents (192 mothers and 194 fathers) with children under age 6 through Prolific Academic. Participants were all cisgender and heterosexual, with the majority identifying as non-Hispanic White. To measure reproductive concerns, participants completed a survey that included five items adapted from the Life Role Salience Scales, such as “I would feel disappointed if my child[ren] chose to not have children of their own.”

Attitudes toward having an LGB child were assessed using four items that reflected negative attitudes, such as “I would prefer that my child not be gay/lesbian/bisexual because she/he could not get married.” Expected initial reactions to a hypothetical LGB disclosure by their child were measured using nine questions adapted from the Perceived Parental Reactions Scale, asking participants to rate how they would respond to their child disclosing an LGB orientation.

Additionally, parents’ beliefs about the possibility of LGB reproduction were assessed with three items developed for this study, measuring how likely parents believed it was for someone who is gay, lesbian, or bisexual to have a biological child.

In Study 2, the researchers tested whether providing information about reproductive assistance available to same-gender couples would influence mothers’ attitudes toward their child’s potential LGB orientation. They recruited 327 cisgender heterosexual mothers with young children (under age six) from Prolific Academic.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: the experimental group read an article about reproductive assistance (e.g., in vitro fertilization, artificial insemination) emphasizing the ease and accessibility of these procedures, while the control group read an article about genetically modified tomatoes, which was unrelated to reproductive issues. After reading the assigned article, participants completed the same set of measures used in Study 1.

Study 3 replicated the experimental design of Study 2 but focused on fathers rather than mothers. A total of 279 cisgender heterosexual fathers were recruited, and the procedures were similar to those used in Study 2. The participants were again randomly assigned to read either the reproductive assistance article or the control article about genetically modified tomatoes. After reading their assigned article, fathers completed the same measures as in the previous studies.

In Study 1, the researchers found that parental reproductive concerns were significantly associated with more negative attitudes and expected reactions toward their child’s hypothetical LGB disclosure. Parents who had higher concerns about their children’s reproductive outcomes—such as the possibility that their child might not have children of their own—were more likely to report negative views toward their child potentially identifying as LGB.

Parents who believed that LGB individuals would face significant reproductive challenges or were less likely to have biological children expressed more negative attitudes. This suggests that parents’ pessimistic beliefs about the reproductive possibilities for LGB individuals exacerbate the negative impact of their reproductive concerns on their attitudes toward their child’s sexual orientation.

In Study 2, the experimental manipulation showed that mothers who read the article about reproductive assistance available to same-gender couples reported significantly more positive attitudes toward having an LGB child compared to those who read the control article. Exposure to information about the availability of reproductive options for LGB individuals led to a reduction in the negativity of mothers’ attitudes toward the possibility of their child being LGB.

Mothers who were informed about reproductive assistance were more optimistic about the reproductive potential of LGB individuals, which in turn led to more positive attitudes toward their child’s potential LGB orientation and a greater acceptance of the LGB community as a whole.

Study 3 extended these findings to fathers, showing that fathers who received information about reproductive assistance also reported more positive attitudes toward having an LGB child and less negative expected initial reactions compared to those who read the control article. Similar to the findings in Study 2, fathers who were informed about reproductive assistance held more optimistic beliefs about the reproductive possibilities for LGB individuals, which led to more favorable attitudes and a reduction in anticipated negative reactions.

Overall, the findings suggest that reproductive concerns play a significant role in shaping parental negativity toward their child’s disclosure of a minoritized sexual orientation. Alleviating these concerns through information about reproductive assistance could be a potential strategy for improving parental attitudes and fostering more supportive family environments.

Notably, the studies focused on parents’ expected reactions to hypothetical disclosures rather than actual reactions, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to real-world situations.

The research “Parents’ Reproductive Concerns and Negativity Toward Their Child Disclosing a Minoritized Sexual Orientation”, was authored by Danielle J. DelPriore, Olivia Ronan, and Pamela Lantz.