12.12.24, 15:45, Suzanne Roes, Politics of Fertility

Until 2018, trans people in Belgium had to get rid of any possibility of becoming biological parents in their original gender roles. In 2021, Vooruit leader Conner Rousseau proposed temporarily banning mothers unable to care for their children from becoming pregnant again, if necessary with imprisonment as punishment. Selective criteria also apply in the debate on termination of pregnancy: after 12 weeks, abortion is only allowed for medical reasons, which concern not only danger to life but also our idea of which life is valuable enough to be born.

In a society that values autonomy over our bodies, that autonomy appears to be severely limited by ideas of ‘improper use’ of our bodies. Healthy bodies are supposed to create the next generation to care for us and keep the economy going, while bodies considered inferior are especially not allowed to reproduce. In this introductory lecture, writer and philosopher Suzanne Roes explores how our ideas about ideal parenthood and appropriate children are deeply intertwined with our culture and legislation.

The introductory lecture will be followed by a panel discussion with Suzanne Roes, political scientist and disabled queer activist Agnes van Wijnen, and gender researcher Siggie Vertommen in which we will delve deeper into the question of who is allowed and able to become pregnant (and more importantly, who is not) and what this means for those who are queer, disabled and/or racialised. Not only in the Belgian but also in a transnational context. Philosopher and writer Martha Claeys moderates the conversation.

• Suzanne Roes is a Dutch writer and philosopher based in Antwerp with a deep-rooted interest in the word. She speaks, reads, writes and sings, but mostly wonders who gets to take the floor and stage over what. In her academic research on arrogance, she puts social and political questions at the centre. Her debut ‘The Politics of Fertility’ was published by ISVW at the end of January.

• Agnes van Wijnen is a socio-cultural worker, political scientist and Disabled Queer Activist. She has been working for inclusive equality and human rights of disabled people for almost 40 years. Among others, around sexuality and reproductive rights, self-determination, easy language and inclusive education. Agnes collaborated on various studies, published the study ‘Homos met een handicap bestaan niet’ in 1991 and the collection of essays ‘Trots en Treurnis, gehandicapt in Nederland’, and produced ‘Aan Hartstocht geen gebrek’, a photo book on disability, erotica and body perception by Gon Buurman. Together with Henk van Dijk, she made the docu ‘Let me go my own way’ about his long road to being his own boss. Agnes van Wijnen started the historical website gehandicaptenschrijvengeschiedenis.nl and is a member of the Kreukelcollectief.
• Siggie Vertommen works as an assistant professor of gender studies at the University of Amsterdam and as a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University. She does feminist research on the global politics surrounding (medically assisted) reproduction, from Israel/Palestine to Georgia to Belgium. She dreams aloud of feminist revolutions, and is a member of all kinds of collectives such as the UGent Women's Strike, Furia, Slow Science and Sophia. She also has a dog, Eddie, the world's most sympathetic dachshund.
• Martha Claeys holds a PhD in philosophy from the Centre for Ethics at the University of Antwerp. Martha is a columnist for Trouw, Knack, and Sampol. Together with Lotte Spreeuwenberg, she hosts and produces the philosophical podcast ‘Kluwen’. For her debut ‘Pride. The philosophy of an emotion.’ (Boom, 2023), she received the Socrates Cup, the award for the most stimulating philosophical book of 2023. ‘Pride’ also made it to longlist for the Hypatia Prize, awarded every two years to the best philosophy book written by a woman.

The lecture and panel are part of the Festival of Equality and are a collaboration of Studium Generale, de Buren and Curieus vzw. Ticket sales start on 15 October. Students may enter for free on Thursday, but must reserve a free ticket via the festival-equality.be website.

This lecture will take place in the Theaterzaal in the Vooruit. Works are underway at the Vooruit to improve accessibility. During the works, the lift for the theatre hall will remain accessible. The entrance to the festival will shift to the concert hall, via Parijsberg. The hall is accessible to people in wheelchairs, accompanied by a VIERNULVIER staff member. Wheelchair spaces are available in rows 1 and 17 of the parterre. There is an adapted toilet nearby. A live writing interpreter is provided for this lecture. Anyone with further questions about accessibility facilities should contact the organisation: anais.vanertvelde@hogent.be.