On trans* reproductive injustice: between sexual and reproductive health and gender identity

BLAS RADI

Tucson

Congreso; Trans*Studies. An International Transdisciplinary Conference on Gender, Embodiment and Sexuality.; 2016

University of Arizona

Even though both sexual/reproductive health and gender identity are recognized as human rights, in practice trans people seem to be forced to choose between their sexual/reproductive rights (SRR) and the right to their gender identity. Trans people´s SRR, far from being understood by SRR activism and LGBT activism, are neglected by both: while the former largely ignores trans people, the latter ignores their SRR. This work seeks to contribute to the debate on the access of trans people to SRR. To do so, it begins by analyzing SRR activism, asserting that it produces a double reduction: on the one hand, of the wide array of SRR to the specific issue of abortion; on the other, of the subjects of abortion to cis women exclusively. In this line, the paper considers the arguments presented by certain trends within feminism against an inclusive language regarding abortion, and refutes them through logical, dialectical and rhetorical analysis.Subsequently, the work focuses on how LGBT activism neglects trans bodies, particularly their reproductive rights, and addresses the idea of ?trans-specific health?. It looks into the ontological groundings of this neglect and considers its effects. It then goes further into this analysis by means of the concept of ?passive eugenics?, which sheds light on the challenges of reproductive health usually left out by a large part of activism. As a conclusion, we draw attention to the limitations of unidimensional approaches and call for a shift in paradigm which adopts an intersectional perspective.