Death and life in the abortion debate: an analysis based on the public hearing on ADPF 442

Abstract

Starting from the premise that the reproductive rights agenda constitutes a range of political disputes in the field of sexuality and reproduction, this article examines the debate held at the public hearing on the Argument of Noncompliance with a Fundamental Precept (ADPF in the Portuguese acronym) No. 442, which took place in August 2018. This lawsuit proposes the decriminalization of abortion induced by the pregnant woman herself or with her consent, until the 12th. week of gestation. At the hearing convened by the Supreme Court, 50 amici curiae presentations were held, catalyzing the current arguments raised in the public debate on abortion in Brazil. The content of the public hearing (characters, places, images, audios, texts, and video) is taken as empirical material for this research. Considering the centrality of the defense of life/combating death argument, both in speeches for and against ADPF, we examine the different frameworks used by political actors on the scene, when debating the issue of abortion in terms of a clash between death and life. More than a polysemy of terms, it is a clash that makes explicit hierarchies regarding reproduction and women’s lives.