Conformity, Compensation, and Resistance: Gender Conformity and Fertility Desire across Sexual Orientations

• In Event: LGBTQ+ Families

Abstract

Fertility desire is a key precursor to reproductive decision-making and family formation, yet limited research has examined how cultural gender norms shape these desires across sexual orientation groups. Drawing on theories of gender norms and gender deviance neutralization, this study investigates how gender conformity is associated with fertility desire and whether this relationship varies by sexual orientation. Using nationally representative data from the National Couples’ Health and Attitudes toward Childbearing (NCHAT) study, we estimate logistic regression models with interactions between gender conformity and sexual orientation to compare heterosexual men, heterosexual women, gay men, and lesbian women. The findings indicate that the association between gender conformity and fertility desire is strongly moderated by sexual orientation. Among heterosexual men, heterosexual women, and lesbian women, higher gender conformity is consistently associated with greater fertility desire, suggesting that alignment with traditional gender norms is linked to stronger orientations toward parenthood. In contrast, a distinct nonlinear and generally negative association emerges among gay men, with the most gender-conforming individuals reporting the lowest fertility desires.

Authors

• Jisu Park, Pennsylvania State University

• Hyunjae Kwon, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities