aly reviewed Xenofeminism by Helen Hester
Review of 'Xenofeminism' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I was impressed by the forward thinking Hester brings to the reproductive justice conversation—this is generally a rare occurrence in a movement I don’t often see linked to technocapital. And certainly, her appropriation of DIY and “hacking” provides a somewhat more flexible structure for tackling the issue of bodily autonomy.
She disappointed me, however, in her very limited engagements with transfeminism. In a book ostensibly about technology and “hacking” reproduction, it seems odd that the trans possibilities of this go relatively glossed over. Instead, transfeminism here seems to do the work of providing possibilities and framing for the author’s arguments—it seems to be a one way appropriation of knowledge, and it’s unclear if the author gives transfeminism itself any new possibilities through her careful argumentation.
