Transgender Studies Reading Group: Trans Reproductive Justice

Hosted by Sa Whitley, an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Transformation and the Co-Director of the Queer X Humanities Initiative, the SST Transgender Studies Reading Group reading group is an informal place for ASU faculty, students and staff to discuss scholarship in the exciting and burgeoning field of Transgender Studies. With a new theme or prompt about the "state of the field" each session, participants explore scholarship, contemporary art and politics. Participants will read and discuss a few scholarly articles in the field at each meeting. Lunch provided and location available upon registration. 

 

The April 2025 installment of the Transgender Studies Reading Group will be on "Trans Reproductive Justice." Guest facilitated by Mellissa Linton, an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Transformation and the Women & Gender Studies program, the session will explore the experiences of transgender and nonbinary people regarding gestational pregnancy, surrogacy and the use of reproductive technologies. Integrating transgender studies into the discussion of reproductive justice is important because it illustrates why gender-affirming obstetric care is necessary. The term “reproductive justice,” coined in June 1994 by the Black Women's Caucus at a pro-choice conference in Chicago, links reproductive health with human rights. This conceptual framework expands beyond the second-wave feminist concern with abortion, advocating instead for a comprehensive approach to reproductive issues. In 1997, the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective emerged to champion this movement, recognizing reproductive justice as a fundamental human right that encompasses the experiences and needs of racialized and marginalized communities in particular. Through our readings and discussions, we aim to elevate these critical narratives and explore their implications for policy and practice in reproductive health.