Abstract of the reading and panel discussion
"Becoming a mother. Being a mother. Authors about the worst thing in the world"

Dear colleagues, friends and sympathizers!

We at FIFTITU% understand language as an instrument that shapes identities and positions and as a space for making racism visible. In line with our understanding of intersectional feminism, however, we must go beyond making language visible and also recognize the social positions, privileges, hegemonies and rhetorics associated with it in order to critically reflect on the prevailing normality and contribute to sensitization and transformation. We also understand language as something mutable, playing with words and word constructs ourselves in order to set discourses in motion where we believe they need to be conducted.

Since in the book "Becoming a Mother. Being a mother. Autorinnen über die ärgste Sache der Welt" contains the N-word written out, a discourse concerning the N-word took place among the participating actors and FIFTITU%. As well as a debate on the question of whether the artistic work is above all else. Our position at FIFTITU% is that we do not have the right to control the use and power of the N-word.

Unfortunately, we did not manage to agree on a common language for this evening. We stumbled over our own racisms, over the racisms of a white, privileged majority society.

We therefore ask for your understanding that we have to cancel the reading at short notice because it was no longer possible for us to provide all participants with a safe space in which discrimination could be categorically excluded.