GNDS380 - Reproductive Justice Zine

The Repression & Revolution of

REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE

Collage By: @remi4829 on Shuffles

Zine by: Fany, Noah, Maeva & Lamia

C O N T E N T S

Art by Megan Smith

Marginalized women, trans and non-binary folks, and disabled communities have long since been fighting for reproductive justice though sometimes through the use of other language. Women of colour’s fight for reproductive autonomy goes beyond reproductive rights to achieve reproductive justice. Reproductive justice recognizes systemic issues, such as reproductive oppression based on racist, classist, cissexist, ableist ideologies, as structural barriers to the reproductive freedom of all people.

"Reproductive justice,” a term formally coined in 1994 by the group Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice, works to recognize the needs of marginalized groups restricted by systemic oppressions through critically and intersectionality analyzing power systems

Reproductive justice recognizes “ that the women’s rights movement, led by and representing middle class and wealthy white women, could not defend the needs of women of colour and other marginalized women and trans* people.” (Sister Song)

In particular, there is a critique of the liberal individual rights framework adopted by the mainstream white feminism movement. Centering reproductive autonomy on the individual rights to abortion does not account for the lived experiences of people of colour, because it does not address issues of accessibility of healthcare and coercive power dynamics.

Where reproductive rights centre the fight for individual legal rights to services, reproductive justice highlights accessibility. Further, reproductive justice includes the right to have or to not have children, and to raise them in safe and healthy environments.

Scholar-Activism

It is important to conceptualize scholaractivism and conclude that sociological research must facilitate social action- that which links individual scholarship and activism more expansive community aims: a belief that Black feminist sociology has held for centuries.

It is very important to understand the value of scholarship and activism and the rejection of their separation, particularly in conversation surrounding reproductive justice.

SPEAK THE TRUTH TO THE PEOPLE

Creativity is a necessity in imagining new worlds. Creative minds guide us to new realities through their hope and vision. Art is inherently political in its provocativeness and possesses the unique ability to provide accessible presentations of knowledge through its infinite methods and mediums.

“Intellectual work is a necessary part of liberation struggle, central to the efforts of all oppressed and/or exploited people who would move from object to subject, who would decolonize and liberate their minds” (bell hooks quoted in “The Black Feminist Roots of Scholar-Activism: Lessons From Ida B. Wells-Barnett” by Shaonta’ E. Allen 2022).

SPEAK TRUTH TO THE PEOPLE

"SPEAK THE TRUTH TO THE PEOPLE

TALK SENSE TO THE PEOPLE FREE THEM WITH REASON FREE THEM WITH HONESTY FREE THE PEOPLE WITH LOVE AND COURAGE AND CARE FOR THEIR-BEING"

Mari Evans from I Am a Black Woman, 1970, quoted in “truth

telling and intellectual activism” by Patricia Hill Collins, 2013

"KNOWLEDGE IS BUILT THROUGH STRUGGLE"

The difference between learning about something and living something is important to be consistently reflexive upon

Knowledge “isn’t just built through somebody theorizing an idea. But through the struggle of it together, we come up with new concepts and ideas: that’s the best thinking”Mariame Kaba for Adi Magazine, 2019

Because of the Black feminist women who initially addressed the nuanced marginalization of Black womanhood, “Black scholar-activists today know how to use [their] bodies, [their] platforms, [their] research, and [their] organizations to comprehensively critique and actively deconstruct whitesupremacist, capitalist, cisheteropatriarchal systems”Shaonta’ E. Allen “The Black Feminist Roots of Scholar-Activism: Lessons From Ida B Wells-Barnett”, 2022

Indigenous Reproductive Justice

IIndigenous people’s fight for reproductive justice is embedded in decolonial struggles. For Indigenous folks the right or not to have children and the right to raise them in a safe and healthy environment have been violated since colonisation and it continues to be violated.

Genocidal intentions result in violations of the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous women. Although it is often described as a past issue, Indigenous women and two-spirit people are still subject coerced sterilization, long-term contraceptives and abortion (McKenzie et al., 2022).

In Canada and the United States, the figure of the Indigenous mother has been presented as an intrinsically unfit mother based on colonialist, racist and eugenicist ideologies. Their bodies play a key role in the reproduction and lives of Indigenous folks and as such it has been targeted for social control by settler colonial governments.

Environmental Justice is a Reproductive Justice

Stone Mother

Tanaya Winder VI.

Before I was born, they tried to silence us, pierced our tongues with needles then taught our then-girl-grandmothers how to sew like machines. You see, colonialism has always been about them not seeing us as human but as object, a thing. Conquest meant they saw our bodies as land, full of resources waiting to be extracted and exploited.

Our land was stolen. Our language Our grandmothers, grandfathers, fathers, sisters, mothers, brothers, daughters, sons, children, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and ancestors

Our Mother Earth holds our histories in her dirt

But today, she burns not in the traditional ways once taught, controlled and deliberate. Today she burns desperate, for all to resist fossil fuels, the drilling, and the black snake named greed that swallows everything.

Decolonizing Knowledge and Practices

The question of access to culturally understanding reproductive healthcare has been of particular attention in reproductive justice work. Indigenous reproductive knowledge and maternity care practices are delegitimised by the settler colonial state.The medicalisation of childbirth associated with social control attempts result in policies like the evacuation policies which forces Indigenous people to leave their community and go to urban hospitals to give birth. This isolation from their communities increases Indigenous people vulnerability to racism, coerced medical

Advocating for reproductive justice for Indigenous people requires to value Indigenous knowledge, practices and ways of living Indigenous midwifery symbolizes this rich knowledge and has such they are delegitimised and criminalized by the state. Midwives organizations like the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives are fighting to maintain an ethic of care, well-being and preserve traditional knowledge in their communities.

"In the birth re-enactment, two Chisasibi elders who delivered dozens babies decades ago share their knowledge and rituals, while a registere midwife from southern Quebec demonstrates the role of the mode midwife. (Tatiana Philiptchenko/CBHSSJB)" Bringing traditional midwive back to Cree communities in Quebec | CBC News

A Broad Understanding of Reproductive Justice

"Reproduction justice, then, depends on us having control over our economic and social lives and this requires a radical transformation of the political and economic relations upon which Canada is based [...] The question we need to ask is whether any of this can be achieved from within a system based on values, principles, and relations that are antithetical to this vision.”

— Stote 2017, 117

Dakota Homecoming

BY GWEN NELL WESTERMAN

We are so honored that you are here, they said. We know that this is your homeland, they said. The admission price is five dollars, they said. Here is your button for the event, they said.

It means so much to us that you are here, they said.

We want to write an apology letter, they said Tell us what to say.

"Patricia Monture (1999) once wrote that in order for decolonization to be successful, we need to imagine alternate worlds based on humanity, freedom, and independence. Our movements need to think bigger about what control over our bodies looks like and what steps are needed to achieve this. What type of world do we want to live in and what is fundamentally required to get us there? A struggle for justice is not achieved by settling for less than what is required or by limiting our demands only to those rights that the system oppressing us is willing to grant. As history and the present day shows, rights that are given too often fall short of those that are truly needed and are consistently under threat of being taken away To win reproductive justice for all women requires profound change in our entire society "

Stote 2017, 119

ORGANIZING FOR REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE: The Erasure of Women of Colour's Contributions

Stories behind women of colour (WOC) reproductive leaders are stories of activism, courage, and resilience that challenge the idea that the marginalized communities do not organize on their behalf

Most of these stories though are undocumented, unanalyzed, and unacknowledged. All while mainstream movements were never allies for WOC

“Our ability to control what happens to our bodies is constantly challenged by poverty, racism, environmental degradation, sexism, homophobia, and injustice” – Loretta Ross. Broader understandings of reproductive rights must encompass race, class, gender, and immigration experiences of each group.

Scholars like Dorothy Roberts, Linda Gordon, and Jennifer Nelson redefined reproductive rights by establishing racially and ethnically relevant organizations.

It is important to consider though these examples of WOC leaders are not the subjects of a single experience or history of racism. Each address their own history of reproductive oppression, defining their work in the context of political and cultural struggles

"WE'RE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED"

- FANNIE LOU HAMMER,

FannieLouHammer,DorothyRoberts,LorettaRosspictured

“As I later learned, it was not that Black women were not doing the work. They influenced the reproductive rights movement, but did not determine its trajectory. We lacked the national capacity to share news about our organizing. It was not until Black women writers mostly —but not exclusively—in the the academy began covering and recovering Black women’s activist histories in the late 1970s and early 1980s that the threads of these reproductive rights activists began weaving into a visible movement.” (Ross 2017, 295)

"Sisterly Resistance" (2019) by Jules

Arthur Property of Resilient Sisterhood

Paul Rego: Abortion Series, 1998

“IT HIGHLIGHTS THE FEAR AND PAIN AND DANGER OF AN ILLEGAL ABORTION, WHICH IS WHAT DESPERATE WOMEN HAVE ALWAYS RESORTED TO. IT’S VERY WRONG TO CRIMINALIZE WOMEN ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE. MAKING ABORTIONS ILLEGAL IS FORCING WOMEN TO THE BACKSTREET SOLUTION.” – PAULA REGO

Framing Reproductive (In)Justice: A Picture Perfect Gruesome N****** Hurtstory

"Loretta Ross says reproductive justice isn’t just the right to have or not to have a child

It’s the right to raise a child in a safe environment

Your mother didn’t have (reproductive) justice

No N****** in this country ever did

Because you/we/she are/is not safe, they took you from her

Because you/we/she are/is not safe, I lost you to them

They mark you as unsafe, so they can continue to hold you

Which they pretend is for your own good, which is for their own profits

The more unsafe you are

The more of their drugs they can test on you, the more money they pay themselves for keeping you

Your safety is not profitable and your freedom is not tenable

It is easy to get lost in this picture, perfectly framed, yet missing the essentials

It is difficult to get lost, searching for your safety

Sometimes mothers have to miss(place) daughters

As we pray that our daughters find freedom, in flight"

(Poem excerpt by K Melchor Quick , 2020)

BISA BUTLER - DEAR MAMA (2009)

I remember reflecting in a mirror that didn’t reflect me. I used to run in circles around my identity.

The noise of social conditioning was deafening, and I felt defeated. What purpose would I have if I was no good to myself? The world was different then, and my voice was still developing. Acceptance starts from within, and courage is like a muscle. There is no right time to find or redefine your individuality. Womanhood is precious. It’s not limited to one experience or idea.

Womankind is ever-evolving — revolutionary— creating space for women like me. Trans women, black trans women, are worthy of all the goodness this world has to offer. Our lives have been disproportionately snatched away at the hands of insecure men. Men who would rather silence us than admit their love for us We deserve love, unconditional love, and most of all–– we deserve peace. I am a woman. I am a black trans woman. And I am worthy.

Queer and Trans Bodily Autonomy

The fight for reproductive justice is a vital component to the lives of women, all women. Trans* people have been historically left out of discussions revolving reproduction and the rights over the autonomy of their own bodies, so when it came to fighting for reproductive justice, trans* people have been up front, alongside cisgender women of colour.

For trans* people, the fight for reproductive justice and the fight for trans* rights are one in the same. Systemic oppression and injustice, along with a plethora of socioeconomic barriers are placed on trans* people, stopping them from obtaining the base power that is central to reproductive justice.

Transgender individuals can face stigma and discrimination in all aspects of life. In a recent report, 63% of transgender and gender non-conforming respondents reported experiencing an act of discrimination that had a major impact on their quality of life and financial or emotional stability. Nearly a quarter of respondents experienced three or more major life-disrupting acts of discrimination, such as loss of a job due to bias, eviction due to bias, or incarceration due to gender identity. Basic human needs, such as access to quality health care, economic security, and the ability to live free from violence, are essential to reproductive justice but are not a reality for many transgender individuals. (2015)

Due to these systemic issues, trans* people who can become pregnant can face an even greater difficulty in accessing reproductive services. “Due to discrimination and exclusion, almost a third of all trans and non-binary people delay or avoid necessary healthcare, especially sexual and reproductive care” (Santo, 2022). By gendering reproductive justice, it contributes to the erasure of the real pain and struggles that trans* people experience.

It also perpetuates the idea that reproductive justice is meant to be fought only by those who can get pregnant, when it is a fight that everyone has a part to play in. Anyone and everyone can and should advocate for reproductive justice, regardless of one’s gender or ability to give birth or get pregnant.

YOU DESERVE TO HAVE COMPASSIONATE AND RESPECTFUL HEALTH CARE REGARDLESS OF YOUR GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION. TRANS EQUALITY IS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE.

(SISTERSONG, 2019)

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References

Allen, Shaonta' E. (2022) The Black Feminist Roots of Scholar-Activism, Black Feminist Sociology: Perspectives and Praxis (pp. 32-44) Routledge. DOI:0.4324/9781003199113-4

Arthur,J.(2019). SisterlyResistance, ProperofResilientSisterhoodProject.Boston,MA,USA.

Bringing traditional midwives back to Cree communities in Quebec. (2016, August 9). CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/cree-birth-midwifery-program-1.3708035

Butler,B.(2019) DearMama, (Textiles).Chicago,IL,USA.

Ewing,EveL.(2019).MariameKaba:EverythingWorthwhileisDoneWithOtherPeople.AdiMagazine.

GwenNellWesterman,"DakotaHomecoming"from NewPoetsofNativeNations.Copyright©2018byGwenNellWesterman. HillCollins,Patricia.(2013).Truth-tellingandintellectualactivism.(pp.37-41).DOI:10.1177/1536504213476245

McKenzie, H. A., Varcoe, C., Nason, D., McKenna, B., Lawford, K., Kelm, M.-E., Wajuntah, C. O., Gervais, L., Hoskins, J., Anaquod, J., Murdock, J., Murdock, R., Smith, K., Arkles, J., Acoose, S., & Arisman, K. (2022). Indigenous Women’s Resistance of Colonial Policies, Practices, and Reproductive Coercion. Qualitative Health Research, 32(7), 1031–1054. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323221087526

National Women's Law Center. (2015, September). If you really care about reproductive justice, you should care about VAWnet - A project of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://nwlc.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/08/rj_and_transgender_fact_sheet.pdf

Ross, Loretta J. “Conceptualizing Reproductive Justice Theory: A Manifesto for Activism.” In Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundation, Theory, Practice, Critique, edited by Loretta Ross, Lynn Roberts, Erika Derkas, Whitney Peoples, and Pamela Bridgewater,170-232.NewYork:TheFeministPressattheCityUniversityofNewYork,2017.

Rego,P.(1998) AbortionSeries, (PastelPaintings).Lisbon,Portugal.

Santo, A. (2022, December 13). Reproductive rights include trans and non-binary people. Reproductive Rights Include Trans and Non-Binary People. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://mywellbeing.com/therapy-101/reproductive-rights-include-trans-andnon-binary-people

Silliman, J. M., Fried, M G., Ross, L. J., & Gutiérrez, E. R. (2016). Undivided rights: women of color organize for reproductive justice (Secondedition.).HaymarketBooks.

SisterSong. (2019, November 20). Make today not just a day of remembrance, but also a day to honor the resilience and power of the Trans Community and to commit to being part of the movement to end hatred and discrimination and celebrate the lives of transgender and gender non-conforming people! #tdor#tdor2019 Pic.twitter.com/z8elfvy0YV. Twitter. Retrieved March 9, 2023, fromhttps://twitter.com/sistersong_woc/status/1197203450607611906

Sprayregen, M. (2022, November 20). These trans writers powerfully explore womanhood, motherhood, & Reproductive Justice. LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved March 10, 2023, from https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/11/trans-writers-powerfully-explorewomanhood-motherhood-reproductive-justice/

Stephanie Ragganandan and Dr Karen Lawford, "Invite Practicing Indigenous Midwives into Already Existing Programs, " https://womenshealthresearchubcca/blog/challenging-oppressive-maternity-healthcare-canada/blo

Stote,K (2017) DecolonizingFeminism:FromReproductiveAbusetoReproductiveJustice Atlantis(Wolfville),38(1),110–

Winder,T (nd)‘StoneMother’