Is there discrimination against children of same-sex households? Evidence from an experimental study in Colombia

Abstract

We measure the extent of discrimination against homosexual parents by schools in Colombia using a matched-pair correspondence study. We send requests to visit private schools from parents of various sexual orientations as conveyed by their names. We track the response rate from schools and the time to reply. We find that schools are 12 percentage points (22.3 %) less likely to respond to a request sent by a homosexual couple than one sent by a heterosexual one. When no information about sexual orientation is provided, the response rate decreases by 20 pp. (37 %) compared to an explicitly heterosexual couple. Our findings suggest that, despite a solid legal framework that protects LGBTQ+ rights, discrimination against homosexual parents is pervasive and can have intergenerational consequences.