Abstract

In contemporary Brazil, the number of male fathers taking care of their sons and daughters and the initiatives to produce content about fatherhood on Instagram have been significant. This article aims to analyze the concepts that support the digital activism of homoparenting on Instagram, based on gender studies with men. To this end, a qualitative study was conducted using the life narrative method in a digital environment. The results were analyzed and divided into the following sections: parenting project, personal experience of fatherhood, articulation with LGBT political agenda when parenthood becomes a “business”, and haters, criticism, and adverse reactions. It was concluded that the reflection on the experience of fatherhood/masculinity itself is crossed by the social marker of the difference in sexual orientation and the activism for rights that sustain content production. Thus, the uniqueness of each fatherhood is highlighted since the fact of being gay constructs the fatherhood experience for each man. Despite the initiatives brought forth in this study, changes are still in progress, as rights activism coexists with the advancement of conservative forces, which limit the expressions of sexual and gender otherness.

Key words:
Paternity; Masculinity; Homosexuality Male; Political Activism; Social Media

Introduction

In contemporary society, although more and more men are taking on roles to care for their sons and daughters, women are still the protagonists of care work¹1 Van der Gaag N, Gupta T, Heilman B, Barker G, van den Berg W. State of the World's Fathers: Centering care in a world in crisis. Washington, D.C.: Equimundo; 2023.. In Brazil, although the role of family provider is still present, it can be observed that several men have chosen to face the challenge that every change imposes, exercising more gender-equitable attitudes, revealing that fathers can and should be encouraged to carry out care work²2 Promundo. Relatório Situação da Paternidade no Brasil 2019: Tempo de Agir. Rio de Janeiro: Promundo; 2019..

Regarding public policies, the National Policy for Comprehensive Attention to Men’s Health (PNAISH), created in 2009, has two core axes that dialogue with the issue of parenthood: “Sexual and Reproductive Health” and “Fatherhood and Care.” The document “Partner’s Pre-Natal Guide for Health Professionals” highlights the need to contemplate the diversity of family arrangements, especially in the interaction of paternity with color/race, sexual orientation, and gender identity³3 Brasil. Ministério da Saúde (MS). Guia do pré-natal do parceiro para profissionais de saúde. Brasília: MS. 2023.. Although reproductive planning and health actions related to the period of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period include women, with a focus on the mother-child binomial, there is a growing movement that argues that men can and should be fully involved in reproductive decision-making, from choosing to be a father to supportive participation in pregnancy, childbirth, and child care³3 Brasil. Ministério da Saúde (MS). Guia do pré-natal do parceiro para profissionais de saúde. Brasília: MS. 2023.. However, there are challenges, such as extending the five-day paternity leave, which can only reach a maximum of twenty days for workers in Brazilian companies⁴4 Sorj B, Fraga AB. Licenças maternidade e paternidade no Brasil: direitos e desigualdades sociais. Rev Bras Estud Pop 2022; 39:e0193..

It was observed that the presence of male fathers is increasing in digital media, a space in which content production initiatives about fatherhood and care have been expressive and diverse, with profiles that address socially marked fatherhood experiences, such as homoparenting, black or atypical fatherhood⁵5 Mesquita JA. Da paternidade às paternidades singulares: narrativas de homens-pais ativistas nas mídias sociais [dissertação]. Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Fernandes Figueira/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz; 2022.. Although fatherhood is still socially seen as a prerogative of heterosexual men, the visibility of fatherhood for gay men and trans men is increasing as they face the challenges of being recognized in this role in a society with cisheteronormative cultural mandates⁶6 Trajano MG. Entre a cruz e a espada: experiências de parentalidade de homens e mulheres trans em contextos cisheteronormativos [dissertação]. Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Fernandes Figueira/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz; 2019..

It is important to remember that the relevance given to the nuclear family, comprised of the father, mother, and children, and to the affiliation based on the heterosexual couple is a historical production. The naturalization of this family model produces the belief that a child can only have a father and a mother who encompass biological, kinship, filiation, and child-rearing care in the same person. Reflecting on differences, considering an intersectional perspective⁷7 Couto MT, Oliveira ED, Separavich MAA, Luiz ODC. La perspectiva feminista de la interseccionalidad en el campo de la salud pública: revisión narrativa de las producciones teórico-metodológicas. Salud Colect 2019; 15:e1994., can help to understand how and why different subordinated groups - black male parents, homosexuals, transsexuals - have demanded different attention to their identity demands for access to rights and guarantee of citizenship⁸8 Mello L, Gonçalves E. Diferença e Interseccionalidade: notas para pensar práticas em saúde. Cronos 2010; 11(2):163-173..

In this sense, one can observe the growing use of social media, such as Instagram, as a locus of political activism, in which topics, such as possible arrangements for the implementation of a fatherhood project and its unique experiences, as well as the social challenges faced and clues for the promotion of childcare among male couples, are shared. Therefore, this article, in an unprecedented manner, aims to analyze the concepts that support the digital activism of homoparenting on Instagram, based on gender studies with men.

Digital activism and fatherhood: a contemporary reality

We live in a reality where no separation exists between the real and the virtual, online or offline. To assume anything in this dichotomous sense is to continue “to live in the 20th century”⁹9 Vasconcelos Filho JM, Coutinho S. O ativismo digital brasileiro. São Paulo: Fundação Perseu Abramo; 2016.. There is talk about a post-digital era in which all things are connected and interconnected, with no borders to make interaction between different societies impossible.

We live in a period where we are all potential actors in digital political action simply by identifying with a cause. Political action is no longer the responsibility of large regional centers, nor are they centralized, since any citizen can make his/her demands⁹9 Vasconcelos Filho JM, Coutinho S. O ativismo digital brasileiro. São Paulo: Fundação Perseu Abramo; 2016.. In this sense, digital activism can join to convene the masses or act in the streets, along with a complementary character geared toward in-person activism. It also enables the linking of different fronts of struggle simultaneously, in a transversality of interests and agendas, allowing for the connectivity of a network of agendas¹⁰10 Deslandes S. O ativismo digital e sua contribuição para a descentralização política. Cien Saude Colet 2018; 23(10):3133-3136..

Access to information that previously did not have the space to circulate in the dominant media makes it possible to raise and qualify the political debate, in addition to enabling the flow of identity expressions, ways of experiencing sexuality and corporality that are different from already established moral standards, proposing other micro and macro political agendas in health, in which people, groups, and algorithms are intertwined in a complex scheme¹⁰10 Deslandes S. O ativismo digital e sua contribuição para a descentralização política. Cien Saude Colet 2018; 23(10):3133-3136.. This way, we have a social, cultural, and technological situation that favors subjects’ participation. Participation becomes associated with revealing oneself, breaking the dichotomy between the public and the private¹¹11 Karhawi I. Espetacularização do Eu e #selfies: um ensaio sobre visibilidade midiática. São Paulo. Anais São Paulo Comunicon; 2015.. This context generally supports new professional profiles, such as blogger and digital influencer¹²12 Karhawi I. Influenciadores digitais: conceitos e práticas em discussão. In: Anais do XI Congresso Brasileiro Científico de Comunicação. Organizacional e Relações Públicas; 2017..

A digital influencer is a term widely disseminated by the media and present in everyday discussions, also indicating the existence of statements in circulation, although notoriously dispersed. Therefore, each of these transformations depicts practices, dynamics, and changes in the market in which influencers are inserted. Furthermore, it represents the social capital of its relationships and the power of influence over traditional media¹²12 Karhawi I. Influenciadores digitais: conceitos e práticas em discussão. In: Anais do XI Congresso Brasileiro Científico de Comunicação. Organizacional e Relações Públicas; 2017..

In the specific case of fatherhood, national and international networks encourage discussions about masculinity, fatherhood, and care¹³13 Rede Nacional Primeira Infância (RNPI). Articulação nacional de organizações que atuam na garantia dos direitos da Primeira Infância. Quem somos [Internet]. [acessado 2023 set 24]. Disponível em: https://primeirainfancia.org.br/quem-somos/.
https://primeirainfancia.org.br/quem-som... ^,1414 MenCare - A global fatherhood campaign. What We Do [Internet]. [acessado 2023 set 24]. Disponível em: https://men-care.org/what-we-do/.
https://men-care.org/what-we-do... . These networks emphasize that fatherhood, like motherhood, is a social construction that accompanies the fluid character of different identity positions interconnected by social markers of difference, such as age, color/race, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Although the diversity of masculinities is recognized, as postulated by Connell¹⁵15 Connell RW. Masculinities. Cambridge: Polity Press; 1995., the model of hegemonic masculinity, that is, that of the white, heterosexual, virile, middle-class, male family provider, still prevails in the social imagination and the men who escape this model have their masculinity subordinated. Likewise, the current conception of paternity still concerns the framework of heterosexuality, and non-heterosexual fathers, in many cases, have their paternity made invisible, under suspicion of not knowing how to take care of the children, of possible disorders that the children may have, or even of pedophilia¹⁶16 Nascimento M. Gay Fathering in Latin America [Internet]. Voice Male Magazine; 2015 [acessado 2023 set 24]. Disponível em: https://voicemalemagazine.org/2015-spring-gay-fathering-in-latin-america/.
https://voicemalemagazine.org/2015-sprin... . In this sense, these masculine positions concerning fatherhood are also expressed in digital activism on social media.

Methodological paths

This article is an excerpt from a broader master’s thesis in Public Health. This work is a qualitative study, with a socio-anthropological approach in a digital environment, conducted with male fathers who produce digital content about fatherhood on Instagram, aiming to understand the conceptions of fatherhood and care that support the creation of content based on their experiences, their desires, and their challenges of being activists in this scenario.

The method chosen for this study was the life narrative, as it seeks to study a particular fragment of socio-historical reality, with an exploration of the field, with individual and/or pair interviews being conducted. The inclusion criteria for this study were to be a man, a father (biological or not), aged 18 or over, and producing content about fatherhood on the social media Instagram. Participants were selected based on content productions that discussed fatherhood based on social markers of sexual orientation, color/race, and disability. The institution’s Research Ethics Committee approved this study, logged under CAAE No. 52206221.9.0000.5269.

The interlocutors were contacted via private message on their Instagram accounts and promptly agreed to participate in the study. Both parents managed one of the profiles and chose to participate in the interview together. The interviews were based on the following trigger questions: Tell me about your paternity story. How did the idea of creating an Instagram profile about fatherhood come about? What difficulties do you face as a gay man, and how did you deal with them before and after fatherhood? We sought to pay attention to issues surrounding the organization of the work routine, the target audience of the profile, the relationship with this audience, and the production of content. Based on Bertaux¹⁷17 Bertaux D. Le récit de vie - L'enquête et ses méthodes. Paris: Armand Colin; 2010., subcategories were chosen in light of the comparative analysis of the interviews, which will be presented in the next section.

The data production work took place between 2021 and 2022. The interviews were carried out individually or in pairs via the Google Meet platform. None of the participants requested anonymity of their identification. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed in full for later analysis. For this article, we began with reflections on two public profiles created by male fathers who produce content about homoparenting, which are: @papai_e_papia (André) and @2depais (Gustavo and Robert); André, 46 years old, who has a 12-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter; and Gustavo and Robert, 31 and 29 years old, who have a son and a daughter who were 29 weeks pregnant at the time.

Discussion

From the analysis of the interviews, the following categories were listed: parenting project, difficulties faced as a gay man, personal experience of fatherhood, articulation with the LGBT political agenda, fatherhood as a “business”, and haters, criticism, and adverse reactions.

The Parenthood Project

There are several ways to achieve parenthood, and an analysis of the literature reveals that the choice of method is directly influenced by the social context and legislation in force in the countries where the couples live. In Brazil, gays and lesbians can have children through adoption, heterosexual relationships, assisted reproduction techniques, and co-parenting agreements¹⁸18 Araldi MO, Serralta F. O processo de construção e a experiência da parentalidade em casais homossexuais. Psicol Teor Pesq 2019; 35(n. esp.):e35nspe1.. For the interlocutors of this article, the desire to have children was linked to the joint exercise of parenthood, resulting in adoption and in vitro fertilization (IVF) as the chosen methods.

Fatherhood emerges as a desire, marked by the weight of responsibility and with a perspective of care beyond financial provision. It is essential to highlight that becoming a father is seen as a process to be lived and acquired throughout the fatherhood experience. André claims that: “I have always wanted to have children... my partner also always wanted to have children...”.

Regarding the beginning of the adoption process experienced by André and his partner, he recalls that they were not married at the time, so it was necessary to choose who would enter the process:

André expresses that the social recognition of paternity is revealed in the ability to provide for the child financially, corroborating one of the mandates of hegemonic masculinity¹⁵15 Connell RW. Masculinities. Cambridge: Polity Press; 1995., in which men are responsible for the financial responsibility of the family. In the case of a gay couple, this is even more valued as a positive prerogative for adoption.

However, with the approval of Resolution No. 175/2013 of the National Council of Justice¹⁹19 Brasil. Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ). Resolução nº 175, de 14 de maio de 2013. Dispõe sobre a habilitação, celebração de casamento civil, ou de conversão de união estável em casamento, entre pessoas de mesmo sexo. Diário Oficial da União 2013; 15 maio., which obliges registry offices to celebrate same-sex civil marriages in Brazil, André and his partner are required to get married, and soon after, the latter is qualified in the adoption process. André explains that:

Regarding the restrictions in the adoption form, André states that:

Due to the lack of knowledge about the reality of raising a child or adolescent with a disability or illness, prejudice exists even among those seeking adoption²⁰20 Almeida MBF. O perfil idealizado pelo adotante e a realidade da adoção no Brasil - problemática da adoção necessária [monografia]. Pernambuco: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco; 2019.. Although current law ensures that children’s needs must be prioritized over those of adults, adoptions are defined by the desires and expectations of adopters - who request babies with specific desired characteristics (healthy, white, newborn, among others). Meanwhile, older children remain institutionalized, with no prospect of returning to their families of origin or going to foster families, as they have characteristics that are undervalued - black, over two years old, with disabilities or health problems or who form groups of brothers²¹21 Mariano FN, Rossetti-Ferreira MC. Que perfil da família biológica e adotante, e da criança adotada revelam os processos judiciais? Rev Psicol Reflex Crit 2008; 21(1):11-19..

André makes a comparison, on an emotional level, between the adoption process and pregnancy. For André, both go through a gradual process of recognition and excitement. He reports that:

During his analogy, André presents the idea that the feeling of motherhood begins earlier for women than for men, as they live this experience bodily. He believes that one of the reasons for paternal abandonment is this difference in experiences, as being a father is a “slower” process that becomes stronger after the birth of the child. For some men, fatherhood is scary because of the responsibility; for others, it is experienced as a process and a mark of their masculinity, as Connell¹⁵15 Connell RW. Masculinities. Cambridge: Polity Press; 1995. points out:

André continues with his comparison, stating that regardless of the sexual orientation of the adopting couple or person:

Gustavo and Robert’s fatherhood project came about as they had hoped. According to them, it was a dream built under the influence of heteronormativity and the idea of biological affiliation. Gustavo states that:

Resolution No. 2,294 of the Federal Council of Medicine, from May 27, 2021²²22 Brasil. Conselho Federal de Medicina (CFM). Resolução nº 2.294, de 27 de maio de 2021. Adota as normas éticas para a utilização das técnicas de reprodução assistida - sempre em defesa do aperfeiçoamento das práticas e da observância aos princípios éticos e bioéticos que ajudam a trazer maior segurança e eficácia a tratamentos e procedimentos médicos, tornando-se o dispositivo deontológico a ser seguido pelos médicos brasileiros e revogando a Resolução CFM nº 2.168, publicada no DOU de 10 de novembro de 2017, Seção 1, pág. 73. Diário Oficial da União 2021; 15 jun., updated the rules for using assisted reproduction techniques in Brazil. Among the changes, the knowledge of the identity between donors and recipients stands out, as an exception, in the donation of gametes for kinship up to the 4th (fourth) degree of one of the recipients (first degree - parents/children; second degree - grandparents/siblings; third degree - uncles/nephews; fourth degree - cousins) if there is no consanguinity.

This modification allowed the couple to carry out their fatherhood project as envisioned. Gustavo’s sister made the egg donation, and the temporary concession of the uterus was from his cousin, on a non-profit basis, considering that the donor must have at least one living child and belong to the family of one of the partners in a blood relationship until the fourth degree. Fertilization was done with Robert’s sperm.

Difficulties faced as a gay man

Parenting in the context of family configurations, comprised of individuals of the same sex, has been named homoparenting. The term emerged in the French context at the end of the 20th century, referring to the desire of a person with a homosexual orientation to be or have the intention of being the father or mother of a child²³23 Cecílio MS, Scorsolini-Comin F, Santos MA. Produção científica sobre adoção por casais homossexuais no contexto brasileiro. Estud Psicol 2013; 18(3):507-516.. When reflecting on the difficulties faced by being a gay man, André explains:

The equivalence, pointed out by André, in the subordination of women and gay men is complex. Indeed, being a gay man places his masculinity in a position of subalternity¹⁵15 Connell RW. Masculinities. Cambridge: Polity Press; 1995.. However, as Connell points out, gay men with a gender expression recognized as masculine (“very straight gays”) can enjoy the privileges of hegemonic masculinity. However, the notion of the homosexual as “feminine” or as an expression of deviation from hegemonic masculinity remains.

However, it is important to emphasize that gender inequality is an issue that affects women and girls around the world daily and that still needs to be addressed²⁴24 Heise L, Greene ME, Stavropoulou M, Harper C, Nascimento M, Zewdie D; Gender Equality, Norms, and Health Steering Committee. Gender inequality and restrictive gender norms: framing the challenges to health. Lancet 2019; 393(10189):10189.:

For several heterosexual men, in coexistence between them and homosexual men, there is the impression of a “demarcation of positions”. This demarcation is intended to defend them from possible questions about their masculinity. Masculinity - understood as a constructed identity that is socially recognized and which finds its ideal of differentiation in the hegemonic model - is experienced with the support of homophobia as a regulatory and surveillance device for heterosexual masculinity¹⁵15 Connell RW. Masculinities. Cambridge: Polity Press; 1995.^,2525 Nascimento MAF. Improváveis relações: produção de sentidos sobre o masculino no contexto de amizade entre homens homo e heterossexuais [tese]. Rio de Janeiro: Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; 2011..

The construction of the moral panic of pedophilia, from a gender perspective, takes the figure of the “sexual abuser”, generally related to men. When the figure of the “abused” is “boy”, what stands out is not an intersection of vulnerabilities (as in the case of “girls”) but rather a juxtaposition of perversities since the understanding of this relationship is crossed, at the same time by the concepts of homosexuality and pedophilia¹⁵15 Connell RW. Masculinities. Cambridge: Polity Press; 1995.^,2626 Lowenkron L. O monstro contemporâneo: a construção social da pedofilia em múltiplos planos [tese]. Rio de Janeiro: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; 2012.. This disseminates an idea that correlates male homosexuality with pedophilia, relying on the notion of “contagion”, becoming a tactic of re-stigmatization and re-pathologization of homosexuality²⁶26 Lowenkron L. O monstro contemporâneo: a construção social da pedofilia em múltiplos planos [tese]. Rio de Janeiro: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; 2012..

In addition to the fear that the absence of both sexes is capable of disrupting children’s psychological development, other fantasies inhabit the social imagination, such as the danger of sexual abuse and the definition of the child’s homosexual orientation due to parental influence²⁷27 Uziel AP. Adoção e homossexualidade. Rio de Janeiro: Garamond; 2007.. Furthermore, there is also a debate regarding the right to subject children to more prejudices, given that society still views a family unit formed by a same-sex couple as abnormal.

Gustavo points out that:

The scenario of conservative reorganization at the national level brought effects on the experiences of sexuality and families dissenting from the heterosexual model. In the last twenty years, significant changes have occurred in the way Brazilian society lives with “dissident sexualities”, especially with the advancement of movements of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transvestites, and transsexual men and women in the contemporary scene. However, the openness of public power to LGBT issues is becoming increasingly narrower nowadays, mainly due to the antagonism of conservative sectors of Brazilian politics, with an emphasis on Christian conservatism groups and leaders, who have gained even more political space after the strengthening of the political and economic crisis²⁸28 Aragusuku HA, Lopes MAS. Políticas públicas e cidadania LGBT em Mato Grosso: Uma década de avanços e retrocessos (2007-2017). Rev Sex Salud Soc 2018; 29:147-171..

Furthermore, Robert points to bullying at school and staying in a job as other difficulties faced by gay men. He states that his work environment was:

Personal experience of fatherhood

Despite sharing his experience as a gay man, André states that his content creation does not have a target audience:

André states that, even if he does not explicitly target the female audience, this audience is the one that most accesses publications about their experience of fatherhood and adoption. This data suggests a difficulty in engaging men in discussions regarding paternity and reproductive planning. The inclusion of men in the debate on reproductive rights has occurred in a very incipient way when compared to what happened with women²⁹29 Medrado B, Lyra J. Por uma matriz feminista de gênero para os estudos sobre homens e masculinidades. Rev Estud Fem 2008; 16(3):809-840..

Articulation with the LGBT political agenda

The plurality of agendas and the articulation of different agendas are highlighted in all narratives. In addition to the discussion about paternity, the anti-LGBTIfobic agenda is also present on the social networks of the interlocutors.

Regarding the profile managed by André, he believes that other objectives were also included:

For André, the publications made on his profile are also intended to be a spokesperson for LGBT people who are afraid to speak out, stating that:

Gustavo and Robert argue that one of the objectives of their work fulfills:

The couple states that another objective of creating the Instagram profile was:

Fatherhood as a “business”

The connective structure of social media favors the circulation of information; at the same time, it promotes a resizing of political repertoires with the establishment of mediated visibility and a fantasy of participation that pressures activists and leads through market and neoliberal repertoires via engagement, empowerment, and individual roles³⁰30 Facioli LR, Gomes SSR. O ativismo feminista online no Brasil: aportes para uma agenda em construção. Rev Cien Soc 2022; 22:e40496..

After creating the @papai_e_papia profile, over time, some unexpected proposals emerged, as André mentions:

Gustavo and Robert dedicate a lot of time to Instagram as they produce:

It is possible to notice that the outreach of digital influencers has increased as content is shared on the web. Currently, they are significant exhibitors of brands and products, as well as effective sales drivers. The visibility granted by social platforms, added to content production for followers instigated by experimentation, transforms these personalities into marketing channels³¹31 Gomes EC, Gomes EF. O papel dos Influenciadores Digitais no relacionamento entre Marcas e Millennials na Era Pós-Digital. Fortaleza: Intercom - Sociedade Brasileira de Estudos Interdisciplinares da Comunicação, XIX Congresso de Ciências da Comunicação na Região Nordeste; 2017..

Opinion leaders acquire new meaning by propagating products, ideas, and behaviors online. People tend to be more attentive and trusting of information from personal contacts than information sent through messages from companies³²32 Zanette M. Influência digital: O papel dos novos influentes no consumo. 1ª ed. Curitiba: Appris; 2015.. The marketing sectors of organizations and advertising agencies are investing in ways to influence recommendations between people, including their products and services within this context.

Due to their potential to disseminate discussions and influence decisions, they are beginning to be sponsored by companies and brands to create advertisements in their content, becoming professionals as “digital influencers”. In principle, anyone with access to digital platforms can create content on the internet and possibly become an influencer. However, many who achieve visibility have more financial resources and reiterate hegemonic cultural and aesthetic standards³³33 Cotter K. Playing the visibility game: how digital influencers and algorithms negotiate influence on Instagram. New Media Soc 2018; 21 (4):895-913..

Haters, critics, and adverse reactions

Gustavo and Robert encourage a debate about the reproductive rights of non-heterosexual people by sharing the questions they heard:

In Anglo-Saxon countries, individualist philosophy seems to have enshrined the notion of each person’s desire. Freedom of choice, not unlike the right to consume, becomes the primary measure of morality³⁴34 Fonseca C. Homoparentalidade: novas luzes sobre o parentesco. Rev Estud Fem 2008; 16(3):424.. Therefore, people not only choose when and how they will become parents but they also “order” the type of child they want or “negotiate” to obtain the best possible model without inquiring into the ethical and political implications of the methods used to achieve their wishes. It is a broad discussion that goes beyond the scope of this text.

It is undeniable that parenting is a political issue that goes beyond the boundaries of interpersonal conflicts and evokes collective reflection. Due to its visibility, it helps us highlight topics that require debate and implications that expand beyond the gay or lesbian family. Ultimately, it helps expose current family forms as “co-productions” of cultural values, law, technology, and money. Therefore, kinship becomes a political and cultural issue¹⁵15 Connell RW. Masculinities. Cambridge: Polity Press; 1995.^,3434 Fonseca C. Homoparentalidade: novas luzes sobre o parentesco. Rev Estud Fem 2008; 16(3):424..

Conclusion

From the results found in our study, two directions can be inferred that support the creation of content about fatherhood in the profiles of the men interviewed. The first is the reflection on their own experience of fatherhood/masculinity, crossed by the fact that they are gay. The second deals with rights activism since the content produced by the interlocutors represents the amplification of voices/discourses about fatherhood, crossed by LGBT issues.

At the same time, activism allows male fathers to mobilize strategies of resistance and cope with processes of exclusion, thereby producing and articulating dialogues with this agenda that precedes the fatherhood agenda. This does not occur without conflicts, tensions, and disputes, with haters, criticism, and attempts at cancellation, revealing the political complexity in contemporary digital activism.

References

Publication Dates

History