Counter-Hegemonic Mothering: An Intersectional Study of Accessing,Imagining,and Experiencing Motherhood Among Sexual and Gender Diverse Women

Abstract

In Latin America, the Judeo-Christian cis-heteronormative model remains a central framework regulating social, legal, and cultural norms around sexual orientation and gender, systematically excluding LGBT+ people from recognition within parenthood institutions. Drawing on an intersectional feminist perspective, we examine the barriers faced by lesbian, bisexual, and trans women in accessing, imagining, and experiencing mothering under conditions of structural exclusion. A qualitative approach was adopted, using semi-structured interviews and the Intersectional Loom to analyze how participants’ social identities shape these experiences. The analytic sample comprised seven participants from Chile and Mexico. Findings reveal multiple pathways to mothering, including previous heterosexual relationships, adoption, co-parenting agreements, and assisted reproductive technologies. Across these trajectories, participants described persistent constraints such as legal vulnerability, stigma, and limited institutional support. Despite the flexibility and adaptability reflected in these experiences, access to mothering remains unevenly shaped by legal, social, and cultural conditions. The participants’ narratives highlight alternative arrangements of care alongside enduring forms of moral scrutiny and unequal recognition, particularly affecting trans women. Overall, the findings underscore the need for legal reforms to ensure equal access to parental rights for LGBT+ families.