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.