Negotiating Lesbian Family Identity via Symbols and Rituals

Abstract

This study reports how lesbian families negotiate their family identities via symbols and rituals. Sixteen couple interviews were conducted with lesbian co-mothers (for a total of 32 participants) who had their children via donor insemination in the contexts of their current same-sex relationships. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory. Framed by symbolic interactionism, this study reports how these families negotiated affirmation and disconfirmation of their identities when interacting with families of origin, social networks, sperm donors, and community institutions.