The term "biopolitics" refers to the political regulation of life itself, which can take many forms, including through systems of governance that seek to control population growth, healthcare access, and sexual behavior. For LGBTQ+ individuals, this means that their bodies and identities are subject to scrutiny, surveillance, and regulation by various governmental and societal institutions. Biopolitics has been used to justify discriminatory policies such as the banning of same-sex marriage or adoption rights, and it also shapes how queer individuals experience everyday life. In this article, I will explore how biopolitics illuminates mechanisms of regulation and control over queer bodies and identities.
Let's consider the ways in which biopolitics manifests itself in relation to reproduction. Many countries have laws that restrict access to assisted reproductive technologies for same-sex couples, either explicitly or implicitly.
Some states require that fertilized eggs must be implanted into a woman's uterus within a certain number of hours, effectively denying access to surrogacy options for lesbian couples who wish to have children.
There may be legal barriers to accessing donated sperm or embryos from non-related individuals. These restrictions place unnecessary burdens on queer families, forcing them to navigate complex and expensive legal hurdles simply to start a family.
Biopolitical frameworks shape public attitudes towards queerness and its relationship to disease. HIV/AIDS was initially framed as a "gay plague" in the 1980s, leading to stigma and discrimination against gay men and other high-risk groups. This fearmongering led to exclusionary policies like travel bans and quarantines, which disproportionately impacted LGBTQ+ people. More recently, monkeypox has been portrayed in similar ways, with many right-wing media outlets suggesting that it is a "gay disease." This kind of rhetoric can lead to further marginalization of queer communities and make it harder for them to receive necessary healthcare services.
The criminal justice system also plays a role in regulating queer bodies through biopolitics. Transgender people, especially trans women, are often subject to heightened levels of surveillance and scrutiny by police officers due to their perceived threat to gender norms. They may be profiled based on how they dress or act, leading to harassment and violence at the hands of law enforcement. Even routine interactions with police can become unsafe for transgender individuals, who may face increased risk of being misgendered or deadnamed.
Transgender people may not have access to appropriate medical care while incarcerated, further endangering their physical and mental wellbeing.
We must consider the ways in which biopolitical frameworks shape public policy around sex education and sexual behavior. Abstinence-only programs and restrictive laws governing age of consent and sexual activity are examples of such policies. These measures are often framed as protecting children and teens from harm, but they can actually reinforce stigma against non-heteronormative identities and behaviors. In some cases, abstinence-only programming even promotes conversion therapy, which seeks to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity.
Biopolitics illuminates the mechanisms of regulation and control over queer bodies and identities. From reproductive rights to criminalization to sex education, these systems uphold heteronormativity and cisnormativity at the expense of LGBTQ+ communities. It is important that we recognize and challenge these structures in order to create a more equitable society where all individuals can thrive.
How does biopolitics illuminate mechanisms of regulation and control over queer bodies and identities?
Biopolitics is the study of power relationships between life forms and their social contexts. It explores how state institutions utilize medical discourse and political agendas to regulate and control marginalized communities such as LGBTQ+ individuals. According to Foucault's theory, society has always attempted to categorize and classify people according to their physical attributes.