To Be Chosen

To Be Chosen explores the creation of our family with my brother as our sperm donor. As a mother who was not giving birth to our child, I struggled to find my place in the process. As I was grappling with the nuance involved with being a lesbian mother, the legal system reinforced my own self-doubt. Though I was a part of my son's conception from the beginning, the only way to legally protect my rights as a parent was to go through a step-parent adoption process. The court appointed a guardian ad litem for my son to determine if this “adoption” was in his best interests. They scrutinized my health, investigated the safety of my home, analyzed my financial standing, and even required references who could vouch for my ability to responsibly raise a child. 

In making this work, I subverted the doubt forced upon my worthiness as a parent and reclaimed my power.