86. Queer and Feminist Approaches to Extinction, De-extinction and Species Revival
Sarah Bezan, University College Cork, Ireland; Kate O'Riordan, University of Sussex; Marianna Szczygielska, Czech Academy of Sciences; Sandra Nelson; Meg Perret, University of Harvard;
The use of reproductive technologies in conservation – from in vitro fertilization to gene editing, cloning, back breeding, and stem cell associated technologies (SCAT) – has incited a radical shift in how we define extinction (Franklin 2013; Shapiro 2016). Today, endangered species like the Giant Panda and Yangtze giant softshell turtle are ushered into captive breeding programs. These programs rely upon practices of artificial insemination that manage animal sex in order to maximize breeding capacity (Szczygielska 2022; Perret 2022). Likewise, the reproductive technologies wielded by de-extinction scientists are driving the speculative futures of extinct species (Church and Regis 2014; Jørgensen 2022; Stark 2018). These extinction/de-extinction imaginaries and practices urgently need to be brought together with queer and feminist STS perspectives to address the intersectional gendered and sexual dimensions of biodiversity change. To what extent does pushing reproductive boundaries impact the definitions of sex and sexuality in life sciences and beyond? What kinds of queer temporalities are made possible with these practices? How are narratives on extinction and endangerment mobilized in research, conservation, exhibition, and policy? In bringing together a critique of endangered ecologies and extinction narratives, this panel welcomes queer and feminist STS approaches including but not limited to:
Endangered species & endlings on display (museum, zoo, virtual)
New reproductive technologies & cryopreservation of biomaterials (biobanking)
Postcolonial & decolonial critiques of conservation
Indigenous approaches to de-extinction & rewilding
Ecofeminist & queer approaches to human-animal relations
Extinction-scapes in artistic & literary practices
Histories & futures of biodiversity & sexual diversity
