Midwifery and the LGBT midwife

Abstract

Objective to identify, through searching the published literature, midwifery's attitudes to gay and lesbian midwives. Design a selective literature review. Findings UK-based material was sparse. Items on midwifery and nursing and medicine and on midwifery in non-UK countries were accessed. Issues emerging include the salience of ‘coming out’, of education, of culture, of forming relationships with childbearing women and the difficulty of authoritative research. Key conclusions the midwifery literature on LGBT colleagues corresponds with that identified in nursing almost three decades ago. The lack of recognition of LGBT midwives carries personal and organisational implications. Implications for practice discriminatory attitudes may be difficult to resolve by education. Research on LGBT colleagues is fraught with difficulties. Various aspects of culture affect the acceptance of the colleague who is gay or lesbian. It is uncertain whether the midwife–woman relationship is less easily achieved by the gay or lesbian midwife.