Impact of gender essentialism on heterosexuals' negative attitudes toward same-sex parenting

We investigated whether and how endorsement of essentialist beliefs about gender affects heterosexuals' attitudes towards same-sex parenting. In Study 1, we showed that framing a (scientific) communication in terms of essentialist (vs. non-essentialist) views about gender fostered perception of same-sex parenting as unnatural, and this effect was mediated by a stronger support in favor of the traditional gender-role beliefs. In Study 2, the endorsement of a biological explanation of gender differences affected the perception of same-sex parenting as unnatural and this, in turn, impacted upon the perceived competence of same-sex parents and upon a more distal consequence, such as the perceived negative consequences on children raised by same-sex parents. We discuss results in terms of the role of communication in perpetrating prejudice against same-sex parenting.