The interplay among religious orientations, State secularism, and gay rights issues

The aim of this study was to test the effects of religious orientations (intrinsic, extrinsic, and quest) and secularism of state on attitude towards both same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples. Moreover, the mediating effects of secularism of state on the rela- tionship between religious orientations and attitude towards gay rights were assessed. Participants were 276 heterosexual, Catholic Italians who completed a questionnaire containing measures of the investigated constructs. Results showed that state secularism and quest orientation positively correlated with both attitudes in- vestigated, whereas intrinsic orientation negatively correlated with both types of attitude. Moreover, secularism of state mediated the relationship between extrinsic and intrinsic orientations and atti- tude towards both same-sex marriage and adoption by gay men and lesbians.