by Serdzhan Ibryam Hasan
The figure of the “witch” has historically functioned as a socio-political construct used to discipline individuals who threatened dominant religious, patriarchal, and racial orders. In early modern contexts such as the Salem witch trials, accusations of witchcraft operated as mechanisms of social control through which women who transgressed religious and patriarchal expectations were marginalised and punished.
Tag: gender
Denmark’s Spiral Campaign and the Colonial History of Birth Control in Greenland with Dr Anne Nørkjær Bang – Culturally Curious Ep.11
In this episode, Nanette Ashby is joined by Anne Nørkjær Bang, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southern Denmark. Her work is situated within cultural studies and feminist science studies, looking at the intersection of reproduction, gender, technology, environment, and contemporary culture. Together, we discuss her project Endocrine Economies: the Cultural Politics of Sex Hormones and her take on the birth control pill as more than just a contraceptive technology, but a cultural phenomenon. We immerse ourselves in the so-called “spiral campaign” led by the Danish government in the 1960s and 70s in Greenland, and the debates around the administration of Depo-Provera injections that followed.
Queer Mythmaking in Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles: When Heroes Fall in Love (and Fall Apart)
By Noa de Kievit
In classical Greek epics, heroism is traditionally defined through martial glory, public recognition, and the pursuit of immortal fame. In The Song of Achilles (2011), however, Madeline Miller reimagines this tradition by shifting the focus of the Trojan-war myth from battlefield triumph to emotional intimacy and queer desire.
The Power of Pornography: Behind-the-Scenes of the Porn Film Festival Amsterdam with Jessie van der Berg – Culturally Curious Ep.10
In this episode Nanette Ashby dives into the world of Porn Film Festivals together with organiser Jessica van der Berg. Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Jessie is a copywriter, Sextech School graduate, and speaker on masturbation, vulvas, and pornography. She is part of the team behind the Porn Film Festival Amsterdam. She is also the organiser of SONA, South Africa’s first Sex of the Nation Address – a sex-positive, consent-centered, post-porn festival and fundraiser for the sex worker movements Sweat and Sisonke.
The (im)possibilities of being a female scientist in Enlightenment Europe: how women navigated gender roles in eighteenth-century science
by Pia van de Schaft
As a consequence of the increased appreciation of empirical research, a new scientific culture emerged. Intellectuals collaborated in national scientific academies while amateurs gathered in scientific societies of their own. Especially in Western Europe, the growing interest generated pathways for some women to engage with the sciences.
Hysterical Women
by Camilla Di Nardo
I’m a hysterical woman
Some believe that my uterus moves around my body
Forcing me to do strange things
Queering Radboud 3.0
by Veronica Fantini
A new edition of the Queering Radboud took place on December 3, 2025. For the third time, this event brought together many people interested in topics widely touched upon by our magazine.
Mom, could you help me get away with murder, please?
By Veronica Fantini
Imagine for one second that you are the mother of a son. If you already have one, think of your own. Your lovely boy. You raise him with all the love and affection you could possibly give him. You teach him to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. You love him, and he loves you. But he also loves another woman. Yet you believe she is not the right fit for him.
Why Masculinity is Fragile: Understanding the Pressure on Men to “Be a Man”
by Zhenghao Lin
When the Chinese Ministry of Education announced that actions would be taken to cultivate students’ “masculinity” (MOE, 2021), some viewed it as the government’s clear and strong stance in supporting the “end of the effeminizing trend in society” (Xinhua, 2018). The plan, which aims to make students more “masculine” by moderately improving physical education teaching methods and formats, was seen as a response to growing concerns that the new generation of men might not be “masculine” enough to handle future responsibilities.
Objects of Desire: Curating and Archiving Sex Work with Rori Dior – Culturally Curious Ep.9
In this episode Nanette Ashby is joined by Rori Dior, a Berlin-based sex worker, anthropologist, activist, and co-founder of the archive Objects Of Desire. We discuss the ins and outs of creating and maintaining an archive such as Objects of Desire and the importance of institutional collaboration.
Reclaiming the Maternal Body: Challenging the expectations and representation of pregnancy in Cindy Sherman’s self-portrait Untitled #205 (1989)
by Nanette Ashby
In the realm of contemporary art, few figures stand at the intersection of identity, culture, and photography as prominently as Cindy Sherman. Born in New Jersey in 1954, Sherman has carved a niche for herself through her pioneering photographic self-portraits. Her body of work challenges and deconstructs cultural norms and expectations, particularly those surrounding gender, celebrity, and the very medium she employs – photography itself.
Diversity on Stage: A Journey Through Queer(ing) Radboud 2.0
by Júlia Vicente
On December 4th, Queer(ing) Radboud 2.0 was held at Theatre C, Elinor Ostrom Building, Radboud University. I attended this event as a writer for Raffia Magazine, but also as a student eager to learn more about queer theory and connect with others who share similar interests.