Just Parents?
ABSTRACT: This paper explores whether public funding of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) can be ethically justified without reinforcing oppressive gender and family norms. The dilemma is this: state-supported ARTs risk reinforcing essentialist and geneticist norms, but not supporting them risks discriminating against those who cannot reproduce through sexual intercourse. This would be particularly burdensome for worse-off women and queer individuals (already vulnerable subjects from an intersectional perspective). The aim is not to resolve the dilemma entirely but to show that, if public funding is maintained, it should be complemented by policies that reduce the normative costs of ARTs and promote more inclusive forms of family-making.