Pregnant Men: Repronormativity, Critical Trans Theory and the Re(conceive)ing of Sex and Pregnancy in Law

Abstract

This article argues that a critical re(conceive)ing of sex and pregnancy is required in law. Drawing on the dual meaning of conceive -'to become pregnant' and 'to imagine, or form a mental representation of', the goal of this article is to better ensure that pregnant men and trans individuals are not denied their reproductive rights, the legal recognition of their gender identities, and the protections of pregnancy discrimination law. Here, I survey molecular biologists' and critical trans theorists' scientific and discursive challenges to the understanding of sex as biologically determined; I map the extent to which biological and repronormative discourses -those which materialize and maternalize female identityunderpin legal determinations of trans subjects' sex and their ability to access state issued documentation; finally, I suggest that feminists' efforts to construct pregnancy discrimination as sex discrimination may unwittingly factor into discriminatory practice against pregnant men by reifying pregnancy as necessarily female and thus pregnant men as 'really' women. Drawing on Darren Rosenblum's call to unsex parenting, I conclude by briefly considering the opportunities presented by unsexing pregnancy in law.

Conceptualization of Sexual Orientation Identity Among Sexual Minorities: Patterns Across Sexual and Gender Identity

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(Des)Construção da parentalidade trans: Homens que engravidam

“…Entre as décadas de 1960 e 1980, graças à segunda vaga do feminismo que encarou o privado como político, trazendo à ribalta preocupações como as questões da identidade, da sexualidade e dos estereótipos de género, é cunhada a separação entre o sexo (definido biologicamente) e o género (construído socialmente) (Nogueira 2017). Apesar das importantes implicações que tal trouxe para a luta feminista nessa época, esta visão essencialista colocou o sexo num lugar impossível de desafiar (Louro 2004;Karaian 2013). No entanto, através de estudos com pessoas intersexo, 2 John Money alertou para a imprecisão de pensar o sexo de forma dicotómica -especificando-o com base num único critério -, já que uma pessoa poderia apresentar, por exemplo, um código genético, gónadas e morfologia interna correspondente ao definido como masculino, conjuntamente com genitais externos, funcionamento hormonal, um sexo designado e uma expressão de género associada ao feminino (Money 1985).…”

The risky womb and the unthinkability of the pregnant man: Addressing trans masculine hysterectomy

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