Representaciones sociales sobre masculinidad y paternidad en padres con hijos gays

Introduction: The social representations about masculinity and paternity have changed inside the families and, particularly, the father figure due to the process of disclosing the homosexual orientation of their children. In some cases, this fact impedes the process of family integration. Method: This research aimed to analyze the social representations about masculinity and paternity built by five parents with gay children in the city of Cali. It was addressed under a qualitative perspective with a narrative design per topic/theme, based on deep interviews carried out between August and September 2016 and the software Atlas.ti was used to systematize the information. Results: The results showed a prevalence of the hegemonic masculinity and paternity in those families the participants come from. However, a transition from a hegemonic to an alternative masculinity as well as a paradoxical paternity was observed in the families formed by the participants. Conclusions: Parents conceive the masculinity based on the biological, couple, and social characteristics such as being the family financial supporter and being the protector, which allows the parents to reassert their exercise of the paternity. However, in the cases herein the parents showed to be more open to diverse expressions of masculinity due to different situations and, among them, to disclose the homosexual orientation of their children.