Overcoming Reproductive Barriers: Memoirs of Gay Fatherhood

Abstract

The construction of a fatherhood identity for gay men is complicated by the overt need for assistance and mediation from outside sources. Gay men must utilize alternative means of reproductive practice, such as surrogacy or adoption to become fathers. Both alternative practices require an understanding of the social positioning of individuals who have access to the resources built into having children because unique class-based foundations make it a privileged practice. However, couples must also negotiate the contradictory identities of gay and fatherhood. The division between being a gay person and a father is relevant in recognizing the political implications of constructing a gay fatherhood identity, both in terms of personal motivation and resistive knowledge. Surrogacy and adoption provide gay men with the ability to have children and construct this identity in divergent ways.