Immaculate Misconception

Gwen Bass

• 04 mei 2023
• 9798889269526

Samenvatting:

In the early 1980's, 95% of all artificial inseminations were performed for married, heterosexual couples. Among the other 5% were people like Gwen's parents- lesbians navigating a homophobic medical system ready to deny them children.They found a doctor willing to perform the procedure in secret, using sperm from an anonymous donor. Periodically, Gwen wondered if she resembled her donor - what he might look like, how he might walk, what he might say if they met. But there were no records.Gwen's childhood was filled with questions she couldn't easily answer:Who's your dad?Which parent do you look like?Do you have siblings?Where were you born?And the infamous one: Are you going to be gay because your parents are?She grew up straddling two worlds. In one-rainbow flags waved and love made a family. In the other- she and her family tried to fit in with everyone else.Eventually, Gwen stopped asking questions about her biology. She knew who she was and where she came from. On a whim, she sent in a DNA kit and found ten biological siblings. New questions surfaced:What does biology have to do with belonging?What do we suppress to secure our safety? And what is the cost later down the line?Immaculate Misconception isn't just a window into a sliver of queer history, it raises questions we all grapple with: who we are and the forces that influence us. It's a reflection on nature, nurture, identity, and belonging.