Interpreting Fatherhood After Donation: Social Representations and Identity Resonances Among Men Having Assisted a Lesbian Couple in Becoming Parents Isabel Côté University of Québec in Outaouais Kévin Lavoie Laval University Francine de Montigny University of Québec in Outaouais This article documents the social representations of the paternity of men involved in the parental project of lesbian couples as known sperm donors, that is, as part of an agreement established outside the medically assisted reproduction system. Eleven Quebec donors were interviewed to gather their views on their role with children conceived as a result of their donation. The results show that their representations are structured around a presence/absence dualism that reflects their experiences with their own fathers, while also following the agreement initially established with the mothers. Child care and daily presence are more associated with a paternal identity, whereas the donor or genitor identity refers to the genetic contribution transmitted through the donation. Between these two poles, some men must contend with significant ambiguity, given not only the absence of reference points or models but also the relational aspect of this practice of donor-assisted reproduction. Public Significance Statement This study informs the public that the emergence of a paternal identity is a complex phenomenon for known sperm donors, dependent on the representations and interrelationships among the donor, lesbian mothers, family and friends as well the social universe in which they live. Keywords: donor insemination, fatherhood, social representation, identity, Quebec Lesbian-parent families have been drawing the attention of researchers for the past 40 years (Golombok, 2015). Although early studies examined the impact of mothers’ sexual orientation on their children’s development, later research evolved toward seeking a better understanding of the dynamics of same-sex fam- ilies founded with the help of a third party (Gross, 2015). An important part of this research focused on lesbian mothers’ moti- vations for carrying out their parental project through artificial insemination in a fertility clinic or in a private setting with the help of a “known donor” (Goldberg & Allen, 2009; Nordqvist, 2011). 1 We know that lesbian mothers who seek assistance from a known donor have given thought, from the outset, to fatherhood and what they want in terms of commitment from the man involved (Don- ovan, 2000; Svab, 2007; Touroni & Coyle, 2002). His role with respect to the child can range from planned coparenting to a more or less sustained presence within the family environment, or to strict disclosure of identity without contact with the child (Côté, 2014). 2 In some cases, he will be identified as the “father” and the 1 The term “known donor” means that the man acts as a third-party reproductive agent for the parental project of others outside the medical reproductive assistance system (Kelly, 2010). Whether a friend or family member solicited for donation or a stranger contacted through a website, known donors are different from anonymous donors who have offered their gametes to a sperm bank, even if some of the latter accept that information about them may eventually be accessible to the children born from their donations. 2 Unlike post-break-up coparenting following a parental separation, planned coparenting occurs when people who do not share a conjugal relationship decide to pool their desire for a child and start a family. For example, a lesbian couple and their gay friend become parents of a child for whom they will have shared custody. If three or more people are involved in the coparenting project, only two of them will be legally recognized as parents, in accordance with the current state of the law in the province of Québec (Leckey, 2014). This article was published Online First October 3, 2019. Isabel Côté, Department of Social Work, University of Québec in Outaouais; Kévin Lavoie, School of Social Work and Criminology, Laval University; Francine de Montigny, Department of Nursing, University of Québec in Outaouais. This research project was supported by grants from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council awarded to Isabel Côté. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Isabel Côté, Department of Social Work, University of Québec in Outaouais, 283, Boulevard Alexandre Taché, Succursale Hull, pièce C-2322, Gatineau, Québec J8X 3X7, Canada. E-mail: isabel.cote@uqo.ca This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly. Psychology of Men & Masculinities © 2019 American Psychological Association 2020, Vol. 21, No. 3, 453– 462 ISSN: 1524-9220 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/men0000246 453