Heteronormative Fertility Discourses Shaping Reproductive Opportunities of Heterosexual and LGBT Couples in the Netherlands

Billie de Haas , University of Groningen

Fertility research often focuses on women and their reproductive autonomy. Although the need to involve men is increasingly recognised, a gap remains in understanding couple-level fertility decision-making. In particular, there is limited insight into how a heteronormative societal context shapes opportunities for couples to have or not have children under conditions of their choosing, depending on the couples' gender and sexual orientations. This paper addresses this gap by examining how heteronormative fertility discourses and other factors shape couples’ reproductive autonomy in the Netherlands, comparing cisgender heterosexual and LGBT couples. Dyadic in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 couples: 11 cisgender heterosexual and 10 identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender. Findings reveal heteronormative discourses that constrain the reproductive autonomy of both heterosexual and LGBT couples, including (1) prioritisation of biological parenthood, (2) limited recognition of the separate elements of choice within a fertility event, and (3) stronger sociocultural expectations for heterosexual couples to have children. The inability to conceive through sexual intercourse and restrictive Dutch legislation further reduce opportunities for LGBT couples. Discomfort expressing fertility desires publicly and choice-related stress made LGBT couples’ fertility processes more vulnerable and less spontaneous. Inequalities also emerged within LGBT populations, as male same-sex couples experienced less reproductive autonomy than female same-sex couples. Concluding, heteronormative discourses restrict the reproductive autonomy of both heterosexual and LGBT couples in the Netherlands. To enhance couples’ opportunities to have children, particularly for those marginalised by heterohegemony, fertility policies should more deliberately address the sociocultural and institutional contexts shaping family formation.

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 Presented in Session 4. Fertility, Diversity and Migration