Louise Morel

A ticket for Radiant Nights #9 (L or XL) gives access to this talk. A ticket for the talk only gives access to the talk. Soup with bread available after the talk, first come first served.

If our sexual orientation is not a decision, we tend to believe that a heteronormative life instinctively takes precedence over other forms of relationships. The homosexual or queer life is then justified merely because there really is nothing else to do. Patriarchal society tolerates 'deviant' sexuality only because queer people are victims of their own sexual orientation. French author Louise Morel argues in her book Lesbienne worden in tien stappen (Borgerhoff & Lamberigts) for a more flexible handling of the narrative of our orientation. Sharp, witty and not afraid to overturn sacred cows, Morel challenges us to rethink our beliefs about sexuality. After all, what if our sexual orientation is indeed a choice? Morel's ideas are a fine, sometimes contrarian addition to contemporary discourse around queer politics. In doing so, she is also critical of the queer community itself. Because queer relationships can also confirm and reinforce the patriarchal narrative, rather than challenge it.