Queer Reproductive Decision-Making in Saskatoon

Abstract

This article is a plain writing summary of a master’s thesis researched and written in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Saskatchewan between 2020-2023. This thesis examined how eighteen queer people living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan made their reproductive decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic by asking what meanings do queer people in Saskatoon find in their reproductive decision-making processes, and how do those meanings influence those processes during the COVID-19 pandemic? Three themes emerged from these interviews. The first was how queer family structures are formed, including an analysis of the nuclear family and the ways that approach does or does not work for queer families and the gendered problems queer people face when contemplating pregnancy. The second centres on safety, with people born and raised in Saskatchewan prioritizing social safety and people born in different, sometimes less queer-supporting countries prioritizing physical safety when making reproductive decisions. The third is the relationship between COVID-19 and place, dissecting how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the meanings of place through social distancing and isolation, and how the space between places (i.e., travel and remote connection software like Zoom) has changed meaning during this pandemic. This research has implications for informing institutional responses to Canada’s declining population levels and to better support queer people in making their reproductive decisions.