Lesbian mothers and known donors in France: reflecting on and negotiating kinship relationships

This article highlights the motivations of lesbian mothers to use a known donor and those of these men to accept or propose contributing to the birth of a child, without being the legal father. We also question the attitudes of relatives, especially the parents and the donor’s life partner, who are confronted with the existence of a child who is genetically linked to the donor, but whose place in kinship relations is uncertain. The study is based on a qualitative research conducted with 18 lesbian-headed families using a known donor, 14 donors and 5 life partners of these men.