Thursday, February 17, 2011

Learning something new

A former student (I'll call Tracy) who still keeps in touch with me via Facebook has taught me a lot about a slice of American culture I know very little about: lower-middle class rural lesbians.

Tracy and her partner "Hannah" live in the country north of the Twin Cities, in a 70s split-level house with land enough for a half-dozen horses, four dogs, many barn cats, and two children: Hannah's son Christian from one of her marriages (she's had two) and daughter "Sage" that she had via donor insemination while in the relationship with Tracy. (Sage was a bargaining chip when Hannah broke up with Tracy last year - Hannah told Tracy to move into the basement but couldn't move out of the house because she had to "babysit" Sage. Eventually, the two got "back together," and now Tracy is trying to get inseminated.

These women come from extremely damaged backgrounds: lots of sexual abuse/incest, family members in prison for drugs and sexual crimes, suicide of family members, lots of drinking/meth/drug use. Hannah turned to religion (fundamentalist Christian) as a way to make sense of her life; she'd gotten a degree from Bethel, so Christian propaganda had been taught to her. For a while, she dumped Tracy "for Jesus" and because it was a sin to be gay. She dated a series of guys she'd pick up on Craig's List; Tracy (as well as Hannah's 12-year-old son) was still living in the basement while Hannah would bring the guys home.

Neither of them can hold down jobs, and they are both enrolled as students at Capella: Hannah for a master's in counseling (!) and Tracy for a bachelor's in law enforcement. I don't know how they make their mortgage payments, feed their horses, or pay for the sperm. Tracy's getting the second insemination tomorrow (the first didn't result in conception). She shared that news, among other things, with me on FB tonight:


tommrow is the day. HOpefully it works this time!

Me: Good luck! What time should I be sending my good karma?

thanks. Its at noon. Everythign has been going much smoother this time around, and because I bough more sperm hopefully that means it will take so I can be out the money :)

Me: So you buy sperm in different quantities? How much is it??

I was on the wait list for a guy that was half black/half white, and he is no longer donateing so I took them when I had the chance. The one I am useing tommorow is the same donor as Sage and the only one left of him. They are $395 each
unless I want one with more options

Me: more options? What would those be? (And it makes sense to get the same as Sage, don't you think??)

if you want it so they can meet the donor when they turn 18, or if they have a Doctorate degree,

Me: it costs extra if the child wants to meet the donor??!! That sounds really weird to me: why would it cost extra?


yea. I only have one left of him, he is no longer donating either. That is why I want tommorow to work. Hannah is worried about me having 4 eggs tho
cause not all donors agree to it
Me: hmm, but I still don't get why it would cost more for you if donors don't agree: are you saying that the donors who *do* agree are the more costly sperm?
right if you want that option then its $560 a vial, and if you want doc its around $700

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