White Lesbians Research Articles

The Concealment of Health Information at the Intersection of Sexual Orientation and Race.

Purpose: Sexually and racially minoritized people often have mistrust toward the healthcare system due to both perceived and actual experiences of discrimination. This may result in increased privacy concerns and a reluctance to share health-related information with health care providers. Drawing upon minority stress and an intersectionality framework, this study examines how rates of concealing health information differ between non-Hispanic White heterosexual people, non-Hispanic White lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people, racially minoritized heterosexual people, and those who are both sexually and racially minoritized. Methods: Using nationally representative cross-sectional data from the Health Information National Trends Survey from 2017 and 2018 (n = 4575), we fit logistic regression models to examine (1) whether sexually and racially minoritized people conceal health information from their providers more than their counterparts and (2) whether this tendency increases for those with multiple marginalized identities. Furthermore, we fit linear regression models to examine whether and how concealing health information from providers are linked to health outcomes. Results: Sexually and racially minoritized people had higher odds of concealing health information from providers than their counterparts. Those with multiple marginalized identities had even higher odds of withholding health information than other groups. Finally, we found a significant negative association between concealing health information and mental health. Conclusion: Our findings underscore the need to consider how the intersection of multiple marginalized identities shape health experiences and concerns over privacy in health care matters. We call for further research to better understand the complex dynamics of patient-provider relationships for marginalized populations.

Abstract 14123: Cardiovascular Disease Incidence Among Female Veterans by Sexual Orientation and Race

Introduction: Studies of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in sexual minority (SM) women (i.e., lesbian, bisexual) vs. heterosexual women are limited by small sample sizes and lack of objective CVD ascertainment. Small samples also hinder study at the intersection of race and sexual orientation on CVD events. We used the Veterans Healthcare Administration Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Electronic Health Record cohort to fill these knowledge gaps. Methods: We studied 132,571 female cisgender veterans who were free of prevalent CVD and classified as SM or non-SM by a natural language processing tool. We defined incident CVD as first instance of AMI, ischemic stroke, cardiac revascularization, or CVD death between baseline and date of death or 8/31/22. We stratified sample statistics by SM status and race. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to assess the intersection of sexual orientation and race with incident CVD; we adjusted for Hispanic ethnicity and age. Based on the minority stress model, non-SM White women were the referent. Results: Within races, traditional CVD risk factors were similarly distributed by SM status but SM women had greater prevalence of stress-associated characteristics like substance use, depression, and anxiety. Regardless of sexual orientation, Asian women had lower CVD risk than non-SM White women, while Black/African American women had persistently increased CVD risk ( Table ). White lesbians had increased CVD risk vs. their non-SM counterparts. Unclassified SM women of American Native race or multiple races also had increased CVD incidence vs. non-SM White women. Conclusion: This is one of the first studies to examine the intersection of sexual orientation and race on CVD risk in female veterans. CVD risk appears increased or decreased in certain racial groups regardless of sexual orientation but this is not always true and invites further study into the mechanisms by which stress results in inequitable CVD events across groups.

Sexual identities and political solidarities among cisgender women

This study addressed the relative liberalism of White lesbians. In doing so, we compared sexuality differences in White women’s reactions to sexual, gender, and racial hierarchies. In the end, our analysis of 2,950 women from the American National Election Survey (ANES) suggested three trends. First, lesbians and bisexual women rejected and challenged heteronormativity more than heterosexual women. Second, the relationship between sexual identities and feminist commitments was less consistent. Lesbians and bisexual women perceived higher levels of sexist discrimination than heterosexual women did, but sexual identities did not always predict involvement in feminist social movements. Third, lesbian women generally displayed greater support of antiracist activism than bisexual or heterosexual women. However, this greater lesbian concern over racial biases did not translate in sexual differences in antiracist activism. Implications for these findings were explored, as were suggestions of future research.

Deeds, Not Words: Sexual Identities and Antiracist Activism Among White Americans

ABSTRACT Sexual minorities of color often speak about racism in White lesbian and gay communities while White sexual minorities often consider themselves liberals, especially for issues of racial justice. This study explored this contradiction by analyzing the role of sexual identities in predicting antiracist thoughts and actions of self-identified White people. Data from the 2010–2012 American National Election Survey provided information on the racial consciousness and social movement participation of White people (N = 2,552). In the end, sexuality differences in racial attitudes was somewhat or partially confirmed as White lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals endorsed fewer racial stereotypes and saw more racism than did White heterosexuals. However, these liberal sentiments of White lesbians, gays, and bisexuals were connected more to thoughts more than to political actions. Implications for methodological choices for studying race and sexuality were included, along with ideas for better understanding activism across racial lines.

Sexual Assault, Psychological Distress, and Protective Factors in a Community Sample of Black, Latinx, and White Lesbian and Bisexual Women.

Intersectionality and minority stress frameworks were used to guide examination and comparisons of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms) and protective factors (religiosity, spirituality, social support) among 673 Black, Latinx, and White lesbian and bisexual women with and without histories of sexual assault. Participants were from Wave 3 of the 21-year longitudinal Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study. More than one-third (38%) of participants reported having experienced adolescent or adult sexual assault (i.e., rape or another form of sexual assault) since age 14. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and multivariate analyses of covariance were used to analyze the data. Results revealed that levels of religiosity/spirituality and psychological distress varied by race/ethnicity and by sexual identity (i.e., Black lesbian, Black bisexual, Latinx lesbian, Latinx bisexual, White lesbian, White bisexual). Black lesbian women reported the highest level of religiosity/spirituality whereas White lesbian women reported the lowest level. White bisexual women reported the highest level of psychological distress whereas White lesbian women reported the lowest level. We found no significant differences in reports of sexual assault or in social support (i.e., significant other, family, friend, and total social support). However, White lesbian women had higher friend, significant other, and total social support relative to the other five groups of women with minoritized/marginalized sexual identities. Future work should examine whether religiosity, spirituality, and social support serve as protective factors that can be incorporated into mental health treatment for lesbian and bisexual who have experienced sexual assault to reduce psychological distress.

How Older White Gay Men and Lesbians Leverage Advantages to Navigate Healthcare

ABSTRACT A lifetime of disadvantages shapes how lesbians and gay men navigate healthcare as they age and their fears about end-of-life care. This paper investigates how a localized group of older white, college educated, and economically privileged gay men and lesbians conceptualize their approach to healthcare. Analyzing 23 in-depth interviews with gay men and lesbians over the age of 60 I consider how they utilize their advantages when aging and facing declining health. I pay particular attention to how discriminatory social and legal contexts shaped elders’ current situations and ability to be “out” and engage with healthcare professionals. I utilize the theory of cumulative advantages and disadvantages as another way to understand literature on health inequalities and LGBTQ health work, finding that despite systemic inequalities some gay men and lesbian elders use their resources to find gay-friendly primary care physicians, age at home, and build social supports for caregiving as their health declines.

An intersectional analysis of contraceptive types chosen among sexual minority women: A nationally representative study

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to use an intersectional approach in which race, insurance, care setting, and disclosure of sexual orientation to a provider are used to assess patterns of contraceptive use in sexual minority women. Study designThis study analyzes cross-sectional data from the 2011–2019 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Sexual orientation of 21,075 respondents’ data was used to investigate contraceptive use in sexual minority women, specifically lesbian and bisexual women, as compared to heterosexual women, controlling for variables such as race, age, and socioeconomic factors. ResultsBlack and Hispanic lesbian women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.39 confidence interval [CI] 0.20–0.76 and aOR = 0.44 CI 0.23–0.82, respectively) and Hispanic and Other Race bisexual women use hormonal contraceptive methods less than their White lesbian and bisexual peers (aOR = 0.45 CI 0.29–0.69 and aOR = 0.43 CI 0.20–0.94). Care setting was not correlated with long-acting reversible contraceptive methods (LARC; such as intra-uterine device, hormonal implants) or prescription-based hormonal methods (such as oral contraceptive pills, injectables, vaginal rings, and patches) in lesbian women (aOR = 2.92 CI 0.60–14.2 and aOR = 1.43 CI 0.47–4.38, respectively) or bisexual women (aOR = 0.90 CI 0.48–1.58 and aOR = 0.83 CI 0.37–1.86), but it was for straight women (aOR = 1.28 CI 1.03–1.59 and aOR = 0.68 CI 0.53–0.86). Similarly, insurance status did not correlate with contraceptive patterns in sexual minority women. Importantly, adjusting for nationally representative data did not impact the results; in other words, the odds ratios after adjusting yielded the same results as before adjustment. ConclusionsInsurance and care setting are important determinants of straight women's contraceptive use patterns with fewer effects seen among sexual minority women. These findings support previous work and indicate that known advantages of insurance coverage or use of public clinics may not positively impact sexual minority women as much as they do straight women. Provider awareness of sexual identity and sexual orientation is important for adequate contraceptive care. ImplicationsWhile prior research has presented findings on sexual minority women contraceptive use, to our knowledge there are limited studies that address the social and demographic implications for contraceptive use in this population.

Marginalization as a Structural Constraint: How Group Position Shapes Out-Group Hostility

Theories of out-group hostility have long held that attitudes about marginalized groups are important predictors of policy support. These theories, however, have mostly examined the attitudes of white people and sexual orientation has rarely been a category of analysis. Thus, we know less about whether these theories are conditional on group position in racial and sexual hierarchies. This paper argues that processes of marginalization shape out-group hostility. Using comparative relational analysis, I examine support for pro-minority policies among white lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people, straight people of color and whites. I find that ethnocentrism is not a general predictor of out-group hostility among the members of marginalized groups. Alternatively, group-targeted homophobia, racism, and nativism predict opposition to pro-minority policies, but the members of marginalized groups have more egalitarian attitudes overall. These findings challenge long-held conventional wisdoms about prejudice, underscoring the importance of centering on marginalized groups in public opinion.

Deferral and the Dream

Deferral and the Dream

Critical Intersectionality, Ageism, and Intergenerational Supports Foregrounding Black SGL and Gay Older Men

Using critical intersectionality frameworks, this project foregrounds how Black same-gender-loving (SGL), gay, and bisexual older men navigate complexities of interacting positionalities (e.g. race, gender, sexual orientation, HIV-status, and class). This study employs and further develops intracategorical and intercategorical analytic methods with data from eight focus groups, conducted as part of a larger collaborative project in Detroit. Data from two intragroup focus groups with Black same-gender-loving older men and six subsequent intergroup focus groups with Black and white lesbian, gay, bisexual, SGL, and queer participants of various ages revealed concerns and responses to barriers and facilitators for intergenerational support and intergenerational transfer of knowledge. Building on intersectionality frameworks of power, this research provides new insights from a vastly underrepresented and understudied community about how shifting contexts shape how experiences of oppression like racism, ageism, and homophobia interact and reveal potential opportunities for intergenerational supports moving forward.

“Missing” Racialized Violence, Disturbing Continuities: Countertopographies of Violence in the Bruce McArthur Murders

This article argues that media coverage of the 2010–17 Toronto gay village homicides avoids one of the central patterns in the case: the murderous aggression of a white gay man, Bruce McArthur, against racialized men, most of them from the Middle East or South Asia. It argues that even coverage that is sensitive to intersectionality tends to treat race, class, and immigration status as secondary to sexual orientation, making racialized queer migrants a “sub-group” of a normatively white lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer community. The article calls for sustained engagement with the specific, racialized character of much of the violence in the McArthur case. With inspiration from queer diasporic, transnational feminist, and feminist geographical methods, it points to continuities between McArthur’s racialized violence and the effects of Canadian white supremacy, imperialism, and capitalist inequality on Afghan and Sri Lankan refugees across diasporas. These effects notably include Canada’s 2002–14 role in the occupation of Afghanistan and the 2010 detainment of Sri Lankan Tamil passengers on the MV Sun Sea. The article concludes that critical reckoning with racialized violence as racialized violence is crucial to any hope of reparation in the wake of the McArthur case.

Abstract IA05: Sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and human papillomavirus vaccination disparities among young U.S. women: An intersectional approach

Abstract Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, which is recommended for U.S. women and girls aged 11–26 years, effectively prevents cervical cancer. Researchers have identified HPV vaccination disparities among groups of women and girls defined in relation to sexual orientation identity or race/ethnicity. However, no study has used an intersectional approach to ascertain HPV vaccine uptake among sexual orientation identity and racial/ethnic subgroups of U.S. women and girls. Methods: Using 2011–2015 National Survey of Family Growth data, we used multivariable logistic regression to estimate differences in the odds of HPV vaccination initiation (i.e., > one dose) across sexual orientation identity and racial/ethnic subgroups of black and white U.S. women aged 15–24 years (N = 2,413), adjusting for demographic factors. We also assessed whether socioeconomic and health care factors helped explain observed disparities. Results: The overall prevalence of HPV vaccination initiation was 47.7%. Compared to white heterosexual women, black lesbians (odds ratio [OR] = 0.16; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.06, 0.46) had the lowest adjusted odds of HPV vaccination initiation, followed by white lesbians (OR = 0.33; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.82) and black heterosexual women (OR = 0.63; 0.47, 0.85). Including socioeconomic factors in the model only slightly attenuated the HPV vaccination initiation odds ratios for black lesbians (OR = 0.19; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.56), white lesbians (OR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.90), and black heterosexual women (OR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.93) compared to white heterosexual women. Adding health care factors only slightly additionally attenuated the odds ratio comparing black lesbians and white heterosexual women (OR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.67). Conclusions: Our findings identified black lesbians as a particularly underserved subgroup and suggest that sexual orientation identity and race/ethnicity may have a compounding effect on HPV vaccination initiation among black and white U.S. women and girls. Evidence-based interventions that are adapted to the specific needs and experiences of black lesbians and other multiply marginalized groups are needed to promote equity in HPV-related outcomes. Citation Format: Madina Agénor. Sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and human papillomavirus vaccination disparities among young U.S. women: An intersectional approach [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr IA05.

Inconceivable: South African Lesbians Talking about Being Voluntary Childfree

Little is known about lesbian couples who choose to be childfree at a time when motherhood is an increasingly available option, particularly given that they live in societies which still conflate motherhood with womanhood. Without their voices, there is an incomplete understanding of women opting out of motherhood and a risk of excluding the experiences of those who do not fit within dominant heterosexual norms. Therefore, in this South African study, we utilized a feminist social constructionist lens to explore the accounts of 20 middle-class, White lesbians in committed relationships who identified as voluntarily childfree. Employing Gilligan’s Listening Guide, we identified two voices related to their experiences of and reasons for being childfree: a voice of Conviction that confidently articulated not wanting children and a voice of Discovery which reflected the participants’ inner conflict regarding lesbian couples conceiving and raising children. We argue that our findings emphasize that reproductive freedom requires a context in which equal rights and opportunities are available to choose to opt in, or out, of motherhood. There is a need for credible, validated constructions of lesbian motherhood to enable lesbians to view motherhood as a natural and equally inclusive option for themselves, should they choose it. However, there is also a need to encourage lesbians to speak out about why and how they choose to remain childfree and how they are still held captive to heteronormative ideas despite wanting to be free to choose alternative paths.

How far can stigma-based empathy reach? Effects of societal (in)equity of LGB people on their allyship with transgender and Black people.

The shared experience of societal discrimination and affirmation can provide a basis for empathy among members of different marginalized groups. However, the potential mechanisms and moderating conditions involved in this process have been little studied. This experiment examined how perceived societal (in)equity of one's own group may influence one's reaction to other marginalized groups. We randomly assigned 310 cisgender White lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults to conditions varying in LGB (in)equity salience (discrimination, affirmation, control) and in the target outgroup identity (transgender, Black). Participants completed a survey assessing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to the outgroup, that is, indicators of allyship. Based on the emerging theory of stigma-based solidarity, we expected LGB discrimination to improve intergroup relations with transgender people (i.e. a group readily sharing a common superordinate identity with LGB people) but worsen relations with Black people (i.e. a group not readily sharing a common superordinate identity). Counter to expectations, allyship variables were not predicted by discrimination as a main effect or in interaction with outgroup identity. However, we found support for the mediating role of emotions in explaining the indirect effect of discrimination on allyship. For example, discrimination produced greater outgroup identification by elevating negative affect, but only when the outgroup was transgender people. Results for transgender and Black targets converged for outcomes requiring participants to consider societal injustice toward the outgroup. We observed only one effect for affirmation: It reduced LGB people's empathic anger for both transgender and Black people. Results may inform efforts of coalition building. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

“Not in my name”: the anti-racist praxis of Mab Segrest & Minnie Bruce Pratt

Minnie Bruce Pratt (1946-) and Mab Segrest (1949-) are white middle-class lesbians that both came of age during the classical phase of the Civil Rights Movement in rural Alabama. Today, they are considered influential figures in feminist and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) literary movements and recognized as important activists in late twentieth-century feminist, LGBTQ, and anti-racist political struggles. Examining Pratt’s Rebellion: Essays, 1980-1991 (1991) and Segrest’s Memoir of a Race Traitor (1994), I argue that both texts deconstruct the sociopolitical dynamics and ideologies that inform the inculcation of white middle-class southern womanhood specifically and hegemonic white southern culture generally through performing a form of anti-racist praxis that I call geospatial critique. This term addresses how Pratt and Segrest mine spaces that they occupy for histories of struggle, paying specific attention to how white settler-colonialism and chattel slavery produced particular epistemologies of race, class, gender, and sexuality that continue to influence social identities and practices in the present. Initially developed during Pratt and Segrest’s collaboration on Feminary, a lesbian-feminist journal located in Durham, North Carolina, between 1978 and 1982, geospatial critique, I suggest, is a direct response to or a way of undoing the racial training that was part of the production of whiteness in the south from the turn to the first half of the twentieth century.

Depression and Victimization in a Community Sample of Bisexual and Lesbian Women: An Intersectional Approach.

Mental health inequities among bisexual and lesbian women are well-documented. Compared to heterosexual women, both bisexual and lesbian women are more likely to report lifetime depressive disorders, with bisexual women often faring the worst on mental health outcomes. Risk factors for depression, such as victimization in childhood and adulthood, are also more prevalent among bisexual women. Less is known about the intersection of racial/ethnic and sexual minority identities, and how depression and victimization may differ across these multiple, co-occurring identities. Data were from Wave 3 of the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women study, an 18-year, community-based longitudinal study of sexual minority women's health. We constructed a six-category "intersection" variable based on sexual identity and race/ethnicity to examine group differences in lifetime depression and victimization. We tested childhood and adult victimization as moderators of lifetime depression (n = 600). A majority (58.2%) of the total sample met criteria for lifetime depression. When considering the intersection of race/ethnicity and sexual identity, Black bisexual and Black lesbian women had significantly lower odds of depression than White lesbian women, despite their higher reports of victimization. Latina bisexual and lesbian women did not differ from White lesbians on depression. Victimization did not moderate the association between the intersection variable and depression. More research is needed to better understand risk and protective factors for depression among racially/ethnically diverse sexual minority women (SWM). We highlight the need to deliberately oversample SWM of color to accomplish this goal.

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Initiation Among Sexual Orientation Identity and Racial/Ethnic Subgroups of Black and White U.S. Women and Girls: An Intersectional Analysis.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, which is recommended for U.S. women and girls aged 11-26 years, effectively prevents cervical cancer. Researchers have identified HPV vaccination disparities among groups of women and girls defined in relation to sexual orientation identity or race/ethnicity. However, no study has used an intersectional approach to ascertain HPV vaccine uptake among sexual orientation identity and racial/ethnic subgroups of U.S. women and girls. Using 2011-2015 National Survey of Family Growth data, we used multivariable logistic regression to estimate differences in the odds of HPV vaccination initiation (i.e., ≥ one dose) across sexual orientation identity and racial/ethnic subgroups of black and white U.S. women aged 15-24 years (N = 2,413), adjusting for demographic factors. We also assessed whether socioeconomic and health care factors helped explain observed disparities. The overall prevalence of HPV vaccination initiation was 47.7%. Compared to white heterosexual women, black lesbians (odds ratio [OR] = 0.16; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.06-0.46) had the lowest adjusted odds of HPV vaccination initiation, followed by white lesbians (OR = 0.33; 95% CI: 0.13-0.82) and black heterosexual women (OR = 0.63; 0.47-0.85). Including socioeconomic factors in the model only slightly attenuated the HPV vaccination initiation odds ratios for black lesbians (OR = 0.19; 95% CI: 0.06-0.56), white lesbians (OR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.15-0.90), and black heterosexual women (OR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.52-0.93) compared to white heterosexual women. Adding health care factors only slightly additionally attenuated the odds ratio comparing black lesbians and white heterosexual women (OR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.07-0.67). Our findings identified black lesbians as a particularly underserved subgroup and suggest that sexual orientation identity and race/ethnicity may have a compounding effect on HPV vaccination initiation among black and white U.S. women and girls. Evidence-based interventions that are adapted to the specific needs and experiences of black lesbians and other multiply marginalized groups are needed to promote equity in HPV-related outcomes.

Sexual Orientation Differences in Whites’ Racial Attitudes

Historical and anecdotal accounts present a contradictory image of predominantly white lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) communities in the United States: a unique celebration of racial and other forms of diversity, yet pervasive racial discrimination and exclusion that mirrors racism of the broader society. However, no study to date has compared the racial attitudes of white heterosexual and white LGB Americans. Using nationally representative data from the American National Election Survey 2012 Times Series Study, I investigate the effect of sexual orientation on whites’ racial attitudes in the domains of symbolic, color‐blind, and old‐fashioned racism. Compared to white heterosexuals, white LGB people hold more favorable attitudes toward black people, most notably in the domain of symbolic racism. On average, over 40% of sexual orientation gaps in whites’ racial attitudes is explained by white LGB respondents’ more liberal political ideology; their greater awareness of homophobic discrimination explains, on average, one‐fifth of these sexual orientation gaps. These findings suggest that white LGB racial attitudes must be examined at the intersection of their privileged racial and disadvantaged sexual identities.

Beyond Refusal: Queer Transpacific Feminism During the Vietnam War

This article illuminates the fugitive queer of colour history of the Indochinese Women’s Conferences in Canada in 1971, particularly the Southeast Asian delegates’ impromptu protest against white lesbian inquiries and the subsequent removal of lesbian workshops at the conference. Rather than assimilating this moment into a homonationalist historiography of perversely homophobic Asians, this article traces how the lesbian and gay liberation movements in the white Global North monopolized the political meanings of queerness and freedom in the 1970s. The Southeast Asian delegates’ decision to disengage from the topics forwarded by white lesbians suggests not their homophobia, but a contradiction within the meaning of queerness that emerges in the chaos of a race war. This article navigates through these logics, which critically make queer Asian women’s desires impossible. I employ the concept of refusal to discuss a specific site of queer Asian feminism, one that responds to the sexualized trauma of war and peace, as well as to the white Global North gay and lesbian activism that emerged in the same moment. Indeed, while refusal may imply replacing information with absence, the delegates’ refusal critically communicated the exploitative nature of white lesbian feminism and its unexpected affinities with heteropatriarchal Cold War militarism. Seriously considering the delegates’ insights into their multiple marginalizations within a transpacific economy, and the way they actively shaped how others should understand these experiences of violence, this article argues that this moment ushered in a prescient and innovative critique of queer Asian feminist formations in Canada.

‘Wrongful’ Inheritance: Race, Disability and Sexuality in Cramblett v. Midwest Sperm Bank

In 2014 Jennifer Cramblett, a white lesbian, filed a Complaint for Wrongful Birth alleging that the Midwest Sperm Bank mistakenly provided sperm from an African–American donor. In this article, we trace the complex and overlapping lines of legal and social inheritance that have conditioned not only the possibility of such a lawsuit, but also the legal language and arguments within the Complaint itself. First, we trace the racial politics of homonormativity, which set the conditions of possibility for an out, white lesbian to bring this case forward. Second, we trace the inheritance of wrongful birth tort law, reviewing its prior race and disability-related uses, and its basis in feminist reproductive rights. Third, we trace how disability, race and sexuality interlock within the eugenic inheritance of both ‘wrongful birth’ and reproductive technologies. Finally, we follow traces of racial inheritance, namely, the loss of white property and proximity to whiteness.