Fatherhood settings and stories of gay men

This paper examines the fatherhood settings and fatherhood stories of fourteen Australian gay men aged 33–75 who were interviewed 2001–2003 as part of a larger study. Two fatherhood settings and two principal fatherhood stories were revealed in the men’s interviews. The fatherhood settings consisted of men (a) who had children when married to or in a relationship with a woman and (b) whose fatherhood came about not as a result of a relationship with a woman. The men’s fatherhood stories comprised two principal narratives concerning care and contact. Fatherhood settings and stories are examined in the context of generational difference and in light of gender assumptions about masculinity and care