Reproductive justice and inequalities

The article examines the practices implemented by Italian lesbian mother couples confronted with the ban on assisted reproductive technology (ART) in their country, a prohibition that compels them to undertake reproductive journeys abroad. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted between 2023 and 2024, the author analyzes the strategies—multiple and sometimes paradoxical—adopted by these couples to circumvent legal norms and obtain recognition of their parenthood. By resorting to practices such as the ROPA method or artificial insemination, these families challenge heteronormative and biogenetic frameworks of kinship, while at times reintegrating biological elements in order to strengthen their legitimacy. This study shows how these trajectories, situated at the intersection of legal, economic, and cultural constraints, progressively contribute to transforming kinship norms in Italy and interrogate the relationships between law, culture, and parenthood within the broader struggle for the recognition of lesbian families.