Do Schools Discriminate against Same-Sex Parents in Their Hospitality and Information about Enrollment? A Field Experiment in Sweden

Abstract: This study aims to examine if schools in Sweden discriminate against same-sex parents in their hospitality and information about enrollment. We know from existing economic research that homosexuals are subject to prejudice, which has led to them being discriminated against in both the housing and labor market. However, little is known about if the prejudice also affects homosexuals’ children’s opportunities to enroll in a preferred school. To examine this, we conducted a field experiment where we sent inquiries to 1,876 elementary schools in Sweden. Each school was randomly assigned to receive an inquiry from either a straight, gay, or lesbian parent couple. When the data collection was completed, we compared the number of responses that each couple received. We also measured how often the responses included a salutation, an invitation to visit, and a promising placement response for their child. Our results revealed that both private and rural schools tended to discriminate against same-sex parents in their hospitality and information about the school. More specifically, gay and lesbian parents had a lower probability of receiving an invitation to visit private schools compared to straight parents. Lesbian parents were also found to have a lower probability than straight parents of receiving a reply to their inquiry if they contacted a school in a rural municipality. Lastly, we observed that lesbian parents had an advantage in receiving an invitation to visit the school if the principal was a man.