ABSTRACT
This chapter explains why lesbian experience is relevant for broader questions about gender, work and family life and then summarise some of the more interesting themes which emerged in the Lesbian Household Project. It suggests that, unhampered by the emotional, sexual and financial constraints of heterosexuality, respondents could choose to include men on the basis of the qualities they can bring into children's lives, though this involvement was a matter of choice for the men. The chapter argues that rather than mirroring the dichotomy within heterosexual parenting, these women are actively engaged in a process of extending and re-defining the meaning and content of mothering. It focuses on why women care and more on civilising the paid working week and a corresponding critique of the long hours associated with masculine models of employment. The chapter illustrates the relationship between sexuality and the everyday accomplishment of gender.
