After publishing the new report ‘LGBT Parents’ for Just Like Us, Amy Ashenden reflects on life as a lesbian mum and the obstacles that children of LGBTQIA+ parents face in schools.
Growing up, I really struggled with internalised homophobia and being in a family that didn’t accept me. But I always knew I wanted children.
Now, as well as being a proud dyke, I am also a very proud mum to my 10-month-old baby who brings my partner and I so much joy.
It has been truly life-changing, healing and sometimes still feels radical to be a lesbian parent in a world so set up for heteronormativity.
LGBTQIA+ parents are nothing new of course (my partner also has lesbian mums, so my daughter will be lucky enough to have lesbian mums and lesbian grandmas!). But thankfully, we are living in a time where LGBTQIA+ people are increasingly able to see it’s possible for us to have children and that reality is slowly being reflected in the representation around us.
