Relationships among lesbians involved in childbirth/parenting, sperm donors, and children in Japan

Abstract

Abstract This study clarified how lesbians access sperm, give birth, and raise children considering the Japanese cultural context and their relationships with sperm donors and children. Fieldwork data were obtained from an active self-help organization that comprises sexual minorities who want to have children or are already parents. Data were collected from February 2018 to November 2020. Lesbian couples sought to obtain sperm in several ways, including from domestic or overseas sperm banks, friends/acquaintances, friendship marriage websites, matching events, and blood relatives. My research revealed that the weakest legal relationship between sperm donors and children was when sperm was purchased from overseas sperm banks, specifically, whether a child knows his or her origin depends on whether his or her mother had purchased anonymous or non-anonymous sperm. At the other end of the spectrum was friendship marriage. If a lesbian and a gay manget married and have a child, the child is legally a child of both people—just like in a heterosexual relationship. However, my research showed that raising children and living together in a friendship marriage was associated with a myriad of problems. In sum, the sperm donor–child relationship can be very unclear; therefore, both donors and recipients must be prepared for various risks before women decide to give birth and raise a child. Japanese policymakers should promptly establish relevant laws to address these issues, starting with the recognition of same-sex marriage.