Robert-Jay Green

Gay Men Who Become Fathers via Surrogacy: The Transition to Parenthood

The current investigation explores how gay fathers who become parents through gestational surrogacy experience the transition to parenthood. Structured interviews were conducted with one of the partners in 40 couples that had conceived children via surrogacy. The interviews consisted of closed- and open-ended questions examining changes in fathers’ careers; lifestyles; couple relationships; relations with family of origin; friendships; self-esteem; and self-care. Thematic and quantitative analyses of the data were employed. The most striking psychological findings were that fathers reported greater closeness with their families of origin and heightened self-esteem as a result of becoming parents and raising children.

Risk and resilience in lesbian and gay couples: comment on Solomon, Rothblum, and Balsam (2004).

S. E. Solomon, E. D. Rothblum, and K. F. Balsams (2004) article provides excellent descriptive and comparative data about the first cohort of same-sex couples seeking civil unions in Vermont. In this comment, the author sets their findings in a culture-specific theoretical context. This framework emphasizes three external risk factors faced by lesbian and gay couples in American society and the negative internal consequences when partners are unable to cope with these external challenges successfully. Forming a civil union can be viewed as an outgrowth of successful coping with these risk factors--a sign of individual, couple, and family resilience in the face of adversity.

Will Marriage Matter? Effects of Marriage Anticipated by Same-Sex Couples

The current study used an online survey to explore the anticipated impact of legalized marriage on partners in same-sex couples living in California. These data were gathered prior to the California Supreme Court decision in May 2008 legalizing same-sex marriage, which held sway for 5 months before California Proposition 8 eliminating same-sex marriage was passed by a voter referendum. In addition to administering three quantitative measures (Gay and Lesbian Acceptance & Social Support Index, Anticipated Impact of Marriage Scale, and The Couple Satisfaction Index), a qualitative approach to inquiry was used to derive themes in the reported experiences of the study participants. The principal theme emerging from participants’ responses involved a ubiquitous sense of security in all areas of their life, including increased permanence in their couple relationship as well as feeling protected as a unit by the larger society.

FILIPINO MEN’S ROLES AND THEIR CORRELATES: DEVELOPMENT OF THE FILIPINO ADHERENCE TO MASCULINITY EXPECTATIONS SCALE

This investigation describes the construction and examination of psychometric properties of the Filipino Adherence to Masculinity Expectations (FAME) Scale using a sample of male university students (N = 834) in the Philippines. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) indicated support for seven dimensions: Assertiveness and Dominance; Family Orientedness; Sense of Community; Responsibility; Integrity; Intelligence and Academic Achievement; and Respectful Deference to Women and the Elderly. The FAME had excellent internal consistency reliability (Cronbach a = .95). It was apparent that the FAME deals with largely prosocial ideals of masculinity in the Philippines. In terms of convergent validity, the FAME had some similar but mostly distinct dimensions as compared to a measure developed for use with U.S. samples: Masculinity Attitudes, Stress, and Conformity Questionnaire (MASC; Nabavi & Green, 2003). The discussion explores future directions of research and potential uses of the FAME in clinical work with Filipino male clients.

Gay Adolescent Males’ Effective Coping with Discrimination: A Qualitative Study

In addition to developmental stressors that all adolescents face, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth must also deal with stressors associated with anti-LGB prejudice, discrimination, and stigma. Little is known about the specific ways in which LGB youth cope with the anti-LGB incidents in their everyday lives or what might constitute “effective” coping in this context. In the current exploratory study, the authors present findings and implications based on interviews with eight gay-identified male adolescents. Eight distinct coping strategies that were viewed as successful by participants were identified. Implications for counselors and future extensions of this research are discussed.

Attitudes towards same-sex parenting in Italy: the influence of traditional gender ideology

Abstract This study aimed to examine the role of gender ideology, religiosity and political conservatism on attitudes toward same-sex parenting in Italy at a time when same-sex parent families are undergoing attacks from ideological campaigns opposing non-traditional gender roles and families. We collected data from 4,187 heterosexual respondents about attitudes towards two-father and two-mother parenting, homonegativity, attitudes toward traditional masculinity and femininity, religious involvement and political conservatism. We conducted multiple group structural equation model analyses to test whether sex moderated any of the estimated associations among variables. Results showed that traditional beliefs about femininity were directly associated with negative attitudes towards two-mother and two-father parenting, while traditional beliefs about masculinity had a significant direct effect only on two-father parenting. Homonegativity partially mediated the association between religiosity, political conservatism and traditional beliefs about masculinity and femininity on negative attitudes toward both types of same-sex parenting. Gender differences were found for the indirect effects of political conservatism and religiosity on attitudes towards same-sex parenting. The theoretical contributions and implications of the findings are discussed.

Religious Affiliation, Religiosity, and Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Parenting

ABSTRACT Legalizing marriage and facilitating access to parenting for same-sex couples are controversial subjects in many countries. Based on a survey of 1,861 French heterosexual students, this study examined the effects of gender, methods gays and lesbians use to become parents, religious affiliation (Catholic vs. no religious affiliation), and religiosity (in Catholic participants) on attitudes to same-sex parenting. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 66 (M = 22.27, SD = 5.20), 67% were women, 31% described themselves as Catholic, and 69% had no religious affiliation. The results based on generalized estimating equation analyses indicate that women were more favorable to same-sex parenting than men and that participants across religious groups preferred “traditional” families composed of two, different-sex parents who do not use medically assisted procreation. Of all the methods same-sex couples use to become parents, respondents preferred adoption and rejected surrogacy. Furthermore, Catholic participants were less favorable of same-sex parenting in general than participants without religious affiliation. Higher levels of religiosity intensified that rejection. Gender does not mitigate this effect for Catholic participants, suggesting that religiosity plays a major and independent role in shaping attitudes to same-sex parenting.