Writing the Pregnant Man: Fans Queering Masculinity and Pregnancy

• In Event: 306 - Section on Sociology of Sexualities Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 05. Mediating Sexualities

Abstract

With this paper, I explore how an online community of female fans of Harry Potter creates and maintains scientific and medical knowledge of a fictional reproductive technology, male pregnancy or mpreg. In an effort to illuminate the mechanisms of fandom, I show how fandom participants collectively work to ensure the maintenance of standards for fan products, and in doing so, also selectively reinforce particular tropes about how male pregnancy is portrayed. Lastly, fans’ validation of some male pregnancy variations over others results in a fascinating yet recognizable set of fictional reproductive technologies that both queer and accommodate normative gender and sexuality roles.

Author

• Mary C. Ingram-Waters, Arizona State University