Dr. Doris Leibetseder

Research Project  | 1 Project Members

Reproductive justice in the context of queer and trans* reproduction with assisted reproductive technologies (ART).

The origin of the movement lies in the reproductive health organizations of women of color in the USA in the 1980s and 1990s. Working groups and events on this topic are still taking place today, e.g. at UC Berkeley (US) and the University of Cambridge (UK). In Germany, there have only been publications and events on reproductive justice since 2021 (Ediger 2021, Heinrich Böll Foundation 2022, Kitchen Politics 2021).

The theoretical framework of reproductive justice consists of at least 3 main aspects:

1. the right to have a child under conditions of one's own choosing

2. the right not to have a child with the help of contraception, abortion or sexual abstinence

3. the right to raise children in a safe and healthy environment free from individual and state violence (Ross/Solinger 2017).

In 2012, younger activists added a fourth principle: the human right to sexual autonomy, sexual self-determination and sexual pleasure. (Ross 2021).

With this conceptual framework of reproductive justice, it quickly becomes clear where intersectional inequalities and injustices can be found in reproductive challenges. Queer and trans* people demand reproductive justice in order to enjoy the same reproductive opportunities as heterosexual or cis people, because reproduction can also be part of their idea of a good life.

The aim of the project is to highlight various strands of injustice for queer and trans* people and to point out ways on how to improve them.