I’m a Local Politician. The Questions About My Baby’s “Father” Are Getting Out of Hand.

BY ALLISON PRICE

I am very happily expecting a baby solo (the whole process has been solo; I used a donor). I’m surrounded by a loving community and network of support and feeling about as ready as I could be. However, I hold local elected office, and the questions have started to come in about “who the father is,” accompanied by a barrage of strange and unhelpful and judgy comments when I furnish an answer. I recognize that other people’s feelings about this are none of my business, and honestly, I don’t lose sleep over them—but I’d like to avoid as much of it as possible. My process is not a secret, but this job is hard enough (and public enough!) as it is, and people are always up in my business about everything. I really don’t want to explain and/or litigate my choices with everyone who crosses my path. I’m looking for ideas about how to politely accept people’s well-wishes but sidestep the uninvited opinions and questions and not invite further discussion. Can you help?

—Not Interested in the Feedback

https://slate.com/advice/2024/07/pregnancy-donor-baby-father-parenting-advice.html