Shared Motherhood or Free Surrogacy?: Risks and Vulnerabilities in a Chinese Lesbian’s Family-making

Abstract

ABSTRACT Lesbian motherhood is an emerging practice among Chinese lesbian couples. Although this form of family-making might be appealing to Chinese lesbians who cannot legally marry their partners, lesbian mothers are subject to substantial risks and challenges arising from the lack of recognition by Chinese authorities and other family members. This study focuses on an anonymous lesbian’s confession about her motherhood. It conducts a case analysis to investigate the incompatibility between transnational reproductive services and national household regulations and Marriage Law. This study analyses the persistence of patriarchy in a lesbian family, which suppresses women’s agency both corporeally and in family roles. Through this analysis, this paper intends to explore lesbian mothers’ vulnerabilities as they face a continuum of patriarchal exploitation in the absence of legal and social recognition. It also questions the radical challenge that lesbian motherhood is often assumed to make to male dominance and gendered norms.