Enby Expecting: Experiences of Non-Binary Pregnancy

Voiceover

Presenter(s)

Nathan Standard

Abstract or Description

Despite the extremely gendered nature of reproduction in the United States and similar western nations, there are still those who conceive, gestate, and give birth that do not identify as women. Included in this queer dimension of motherhood are non-binary folks who feel their gender does not reflect binary, or cisgender, notions of male and female. Academia, healthcare practice, and popular culture all fall short of adequately accounting for non-binary birth experiences. This study attempts to fill this void through the explication of 4 in-depth interviews with non-binary individuals who have experienced pregnancy, featuring analysis of personal objects significant to their experiences. It details not only what pregnancy is like for non-binary folks, but it also discusses the systemic lack of cultural and institutional awareness of queer pregnancy that affects these people. Amplifying the raw lived experiences of non-binary pregnant folks exposes the injustices of reproductive healthcare and the norms that guide it, cluing us in on how to accommodate sexual and gender minorities.

Mentor

Stacey Vanderhurst