Reproductive Justice: The Final (Feminist) Frontier

Abstract

From Gattaca to Star Trek, problematic tropes surrounding reproduction can easily be found in works of mainstream science fiction. Such tropes uphold conservative anxieties around reproductive technologies, abortion, and pregnancy, and these works thus become influential in legal, ethical, and policy discussions on these issues. In contrast, feminist science fiction attempts to expose reproductive injustice, both current and future, through portrayals of prototype social-legal contexts. In this article, I argue that feminist science fiction works are, therefore, of importance for feminist legal theory as they can help us imagine a radically transformed future for reproduction. I consider the work of Octavia Butler and Laura Lam as examples of reproductive dystopia highlighting current, past, and potential future socio-legal injustices. These feminist works call for change grounded in the lived experiences of women and people capable of becoming pregnant.