Feminist and queer phenomenology: a framework for perinatal nursing practice, research, and education for advancing lesbian health

Abstract

A queer phenomenology would involve an orientation toward queer, a way to inhabit the world that gives "support" to those whose lives and loves make them appear oblique, strange, and out of place. (Ahmed, 2006) The climate of the health care system is a reflection of society, which often hesitates to support individuals who choose paths other than those, that are heteronormatively constructed. Consequences of such limited directedness include fear, misunderstanding, avoidance, and discrimination on the part of nurses toward individuals involved in same-sex partnerships (Goldberg, 2005/2006). A feminist and queer phenomenological framework offers an approach for perinatal nurses to advance lesbian health and, in particular, lesbian couples' experiences of birthing, in the context of nursing practice, research, and education.