Reproductive Homonationalism and In/ter/dependence in Spain and Catalonia: 'Feminazis' & Queer and Trans Reproduction

Abstract

Spain and Catalonia are timely and crucial examples for analyzing homonationalism and queer and trans reproduction with Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). This essay employs Puar’s (2013) formulation of “homonationalism” as an ideology that privileges LGBTIQ people while simultaneously discriminating against other types of people. The Catalan independence process provides us with important insights into the relationship and interdependence between queer and trans reproduction and the state or nation. Queer and trans people’s reproduction is dependent on the laws of the state, the state depends on the reproduction of its population, and most Western EU-states want to appear as LGBTIQ-friendly. A selection of eight in-depth interviews will be analyzed with the following questions in mind: Are there any differences between Spain and Catalonia concerning access to queer and trans reproduction? Do comments regarding queer and trans reproduction employ racializing or homonationalist ideologies? Is queer and trans reproduction an issue in the Catalan independence process? How do queer and trans people based in Catalonia navigate their reproductive challenges in relation to Spain and Catalonia? These interviews formed part of an EU-funded project on queer and trans reproduction in Europe. In this article, we highlight both the struggles for queer and trans reproduction as well as the complicity of some queer and trans people’s reproduction with homonationalist strategies, and whether and how Spain and Catalonia deploy these homonationalist tools.