Intersex, Beyond the Medical: Docu-screening 'Kiezen, Snijden, Zwijgen' & Sofa Talk
What does it mean to be intersex in a world shaped by medical norms and societal expectations? How does legislation impact intersex lives? And how can we move beyond medicalisation, silence and stigmatization? Join RHEA and LGTBQIA+ student association Spectrum GSA for this semester's final Gender lecture.
The evening consists of a screening of the documentary "Kiezen, Snijden, Zwijgen"/"Choosing, Cutting, Acquiescing", and a sofa talk, opening up a broader discussion on intersex issues.
Register now, capacity is limited!
Choosing, cutting, acquiescing
In the documentary, Sharan and Marieke break the silence and share their experiences on being intersex. Through intimate and powerful storytelling, the film invites us to reflect on the lasting impact of secrecy and medicalisation on intersex individuals.
Speaker bio's
Next is a sofa talk with Dr. Marjolein Van Bavel (Radboud, UAntwerp) and Dra. Audrey Aegerter (ULB). Together, we’ll explore the role of legislation, the historical and ongoing medicalisation of intersex bodies, and most importantly: where do we stand today, and what steps can we take for a more inclusive future?
Dr. Marjolein Van Bavel
Marjolein Van Bavel is an Assistant Professor of Modern Cultural History at Radboud University and a FWO Research Fellow at the University of Antwerp. Her work focuses on 20th-century histories of gender, the body, and the use of oral history as a method. Van Bavel is particularly interested in the experiences of individuals who challenged dominant social and bodily norms, exploring how they faced societal policing, as well as how they asserted agency. She currently leads a research project commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), examining trans* and intersex* experiences with the former law on sex designation change that was in effect in the Netherlands between 1985 and 2014. Until 2014, this law required individuals to undergo medical procedures – including irreversible sterilisation, hormone treatments, and surgeries – as a precondition for changing the sex marker on their official documents.
Dra. Audrey Aegerter
Audrey Aegerter is a PhD candidate at the Université Libre de Bruxelles on the emergence of the intersex movement in Europe as part of the European INIA project. She is also the co-founder of an intersex organization in Switzerland and a board member of the Francophone intersex research network (Refri).
Post-lecture Intersex Pillow Talk on Friday 25/4
Two days after the event, join Rhea and Spectrum GSA for an aftercare session where the topic can be approached from a more personal angle.
