It was in the context of 20th century European society that Foucault had introduced what he called ‘biopower’ – an interpretation that situates the physical body as the nexus where power and subjugation are exercised. Decades later, the concept continues to make its relevance glaringly obvious, be it in the overturn of Roe vs Wade in the US and the resultant threats to bodily autonomy, or in India where the presence of a law makes little difference in the lives of abortion seekers from marginalised social, economic, and regional backgrounds. Gender-diverse and transmasculine abortion seekers in Assam exist in the intersection of such multiple marginalities.
The tendency to look at abortion as a ‘women’s issue’ results in an exclusion of gender-diverse and transmasculine people from the narrative. While studies on abortion access in Assam are already scarce, at the time of planning of this project, no literature could be found which provides a comprehensive understanding of the perceptions of and/or access to abortion among queer and trans people in Assam. However, evidence from Western countries indicates a higher rate of unintended pregnancies among sexual and gender minority people assigned female at birth than cisgendered heterosexual women (Charlton et al, 2020). Hence, the need for information related to the challenges faced by this group while accessing safe abortion services further increases.
Keeping in mind the gaps in existing research, the paper brings into light the unique challenges faced by the said group through intensive fieldwork among the queer and trans community in Assam. Keeping Foucault’s idea of biopower as the theoretical base, the paper brings forth information about their awareness, access, intimate and familial support networks, and experiences of interaction with healthcare service providers.
