“My grandchild wants a baby”. Grandparents’ attitudes towards their gay or lesbian grandchild and their desire to become parent.

The legal situation of Belgian gay men and lesbians may be perceived as one of the best in Europe. Indeed, Belgium has been one of the first countries to legalize same-sex parenting and to create a general framework for action against negative attitudes towards gay and lesbian parents. However, same-sex parenting is still considered as a controversial topic by some heterosexual people, and especially by older ones.
The present research focusses on grandparents’ attitudes towards their grandchild’s homosexuality and desire of parenthood. Eleven grandparents (aged from 72 to 92) participated in a semi-structured interview, in which a systemic tool (the game of strings) was used. We investigated the grandparents’ attitudes (cognitive, emotional and behavioral axes) and the changes in relational dynamics over time (after the coming-out and after the disclosure of the parenting project). The results pointed out various degree of support towards the grandchild’s desire to become parent, and in particular towards different types of parenthood (e.g. adoption, in vitro, surrogacy). We will discuss the importance of family support and legal framework in the parenting project. This contribution highlights work’s implication for public policy and social transformation by understanding the challenges that gay and lesbian parents and their children have to face.