Curatorial Statement

“Choosing Children” and “Dear Gabe” explore the hardships and struggles lesbian and queer women, especially mothers and children, must endure. “Choosing Children” stems into the different paths lesbian women have taken in order to become mothers, for example, artificial insemination. This film also explains the many boundaries lesbian women must surpass in order to adopt children, along with the unfairness of the system. Even when a lesbian woman goes through great lengths to achieve adoption, the co-parent does not receive legal rights of the children. “Dear Gabe” further describes the many lesbian and queer lives that have lead a “traditional” role in a not-so-traditional way. This movie shows the audience the challenges society puts upon lesbians, such as portraying a certain gender role. For example, the social pressure to marry someone of the opposite sex. No matter what kind of relationship women chose to involve themselves in, there is always the continuous battle over gender roles. Both of these films interview and characterize the lives of lesbian and queer women, and the fact that they still have to deal with gender roles no matter what their choice of life might be. Whether it is a lesbian or heterosexual relationship, women must battle over how to act and who does what, but most importantly the constant pressure to be traditional. Furthermore, both films prove that no matter how many bridges must be crossed and how much hardship must be conquered, these women are strong and surpass their fulfillment as both women and mothers.