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Let Them Be, Not Adopt: General Attitudes Towards Gays and Lesbians and Specific Attitudes Towards Adoption by Same-Sex Couples in 22 European Countries

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  • Giulia M. Dotti Sani

    (University of Milano)

  • Mario Quaranta

    (University of Trento)

Abstract

By relying on two items included in the 8th round of the European Social Survey (2016–2017), this article compares general attitudes towards gays and lesbians and attitudes towards the specific issue of adoption by same-sex couples in 22 countries. Ordered logit multilevel models reveal that age, education and religiosity have a weaker association with attitudes towards adoption than with attitudes towards homosexuality in general. In contrast, at the contextual-level, the presence of laws and policies ensuring rights for the LGBTI population is positively associated with both attitudes to a similar extent. However, models with random slopes and cross-level interactions reveal important differences in the way critical individual-level characteristics operate in different contexts. In particular, across countries, youth, higher educated and secular respondents display more positive attitudes towards homosexuality regardless of whether their country recognizes legal rights to LGBTI people. Instead, these individual characteristics are associated with positive attitudes towards adoption by same-sex couples only in countries that are more progressive in terms of LGBTI rights. These results point to the existence of “mixed opinions” in the way people in Europe think about rights for gays and lesbians and indicate that large attitudinal gaps persist even in the most progressive countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Giulia M. Dotti Sani & Mario Quaranta, 2020. "Let Them Be, Not Adopt: General Attitudes Towards Gays and Lesbians and Specific Attitudes Towards Adoption by Same-Sex Couples in 22 European Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 351-373, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:150:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s11205-020-02291-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-020-02291-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Judith Treas & Jonathan Lui & Zoya Gubernskaya, 2014. "Attitudes on marriage and new relationships," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(54), pages 1495-1526.
    2. Niclas Berggren & Christian Bjørnskov & Therese Nilsson, 2017. "What Aspects of Society Matter for the Quality of Life of a Minority? Global Evidence from the New Gay Happiness Index," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 132(3), pages 1163-1192, July.
    3. Robert Andersen & Tina Fetner, 2008. "Economic Inequality and Intolerance: Attitudes toward Homosexuality in 35 Democracies," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 52(4), pages 942-958, October.
    4. Andrew L. Whitehead, 2010. "Sacred Rites and Civil Rights: Religion's Effect on Attitudes Toward Same‐Sex Unions and the Perceived Cause of Homosexuality," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 91(1), pages 63-79, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Anna Caprinali & Agnese Vitali, 2025. "The demography of sexual identity development and disclosure among LGB people in Europe," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 52(5), pages 125-140.
    2. Nabamita Dutta & Russell S. Sobel, 2024. "Is education’s positive impact on views toward ethnic diversity affected by views toward gender and LGBTQ+ equality?," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 26(3), pages 931-952, December.
    3. Tessa van de Rozenberg & Peer Scheepers, 2022. "Rejection of equal adoption rights for same‐sex couples across European countries: Socializing influences on the national level and cross‐national interactions," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 103(2), pages 274-293, March.
    4. Hui-Chi Wang & Hua-Chang Lee, 2023. "University Students Attitudes toward Same-Sex Marriage Adoption in Taiwan," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-13, March.

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