New Legacy Radio

Join us in conversation with Stephanie Joy Phillips, the founder of World Childless Week.

We will discuss the highlights of this year's event, which will be held 11-17 September 2023, and how you can participate.

This will be the 7th year World Childless Week has taken place, and the event continues to evolve in content, and global participation. World Childless Week aims to raise awareness of the childless not by choice (cnbc) community and enable every childless person to share their story with confidence. It's for anyone who is childless despite their longing to be a parent because they have never been pregnant (for any reason), not carried full term or have suffered the sadness of a baby born sleeping.

Tune in as we delve into the personal impact of pronatalism, as it relates to childlessness. We will discuss the ways in which everyday and significant interactions, times and environments can serve to reignite and impact grief and healing, in ways that can challenge one's very identity in the world.

In today’s episode we will discuss the value of policy engagement for people without children, and why it matters for our community. We will look at the historical and current influences pronatalism has on social policy, workplace leave policies and benefits, and public policy.

We will also assess the ways in which pronatalist culture and policies impact the daily lives of people without children, and why we must organize for collective action now.

Joining us for this conversation will be New Legacy Advisors, Nandita Bajaj, Executive Director of Population Balance, Jody Day, who is an expert in female childlessness, and founder of Gateway Women; Dr. Robin Hadley, who is an expert and researcher on male childlessness, and Therese Shechter, who is a childfree filmmaker, and founder of Trixie Films!

Tune in to learn more about New Legacy Institute’s purpose in advocating for policy change, and creating a social justice platform for people without children. We will also share how our community and allies can become part of the change we envision for our community and beyond!

The conscientious journeys and decision-making processes by people who don’t have children, often remain unacknowledged stories and contributions.

Further, as our community of people without children grows in separate directions, namely via the identities childless and childfree it must be acknowledged that these identities most often reflect only the end points of this continuum.

So, who are we as a collective community? What do the not so tidy experiences of people without children whose paths were not a simple “yes” or “no” look like, and how might the melding and choosing of ‘childless’ and ‘childfree’ identification be more complex than it is generally expressed?

Our guest today is award-winning filmmaker, Maxine Trump, In her film, “To Kid. Or Not to Kid”, Maxine shares her own journey on this continuum. Her film bravely plunges into an aspect of reproductive choice often misunderstood, mischaracterized, or considered too taboo to discuss. With rising public awareness about climate change, resource scarcity and global population, her film asks the question Why can't we talk about not having children?”

Join us for this conversation as we navigate these questions and more!

People without children remain a largely invisible, excluded population, socially and economically. Despite the growth in the number of people without children, ranging from 20%-30% globally, statistics and policy consideration to meet the needs and realities of our community remain outside the mainstream. This is particularly true in academic research, social and economic planning, and policy development.

Today, we will be in conversation with Dr. Zachary Neal, an associate professor of psychology and global urban studies at Michigan State University, and Dr. Jennifer Watling Neal, a professor of psychology at Michigan State University. We will discuss their recently released research findings on childfree demographics and neighborhood satisfaction for those who do not have children. We will also assess some of the ways we can best create change on the basis of greater data-driven information, that reflects our community.

Today we celebrate International Childfree Day. In reflecting on what this day means for so many in our collective community, we also want to acknowledge the history and advocacy, behind the origins of this day, and the transition to becoming what it is today. The National Organization for Non-Parents (NON), later named the National Alliance for Optional Parenthood (NAOP), was founded in 1972 by Ellen Peck and Shirley Radl. NON first designated August 1st as Non-Parents' Day, in 1973. In 2013, Laura Carroll, childfree author and writer, lead the way in bringing back the acknowledgment and celebration of this day and date, as an annual "International Childfree Day. Laura guided these efforts for a decade, and this year, passed the torch to Childfree Media, which is co-founded by LeNora Faye and Cody Hetzel. Joining us today are Joan Eisenstodt and Marie Bernardy, who were active participants in NON/NAOP and played key roles in education and visibility on behalf of the organization. Their personal stories of reproductive experiences and choices, and the responses to their public advocacy work demonstrate their deep commitment, to having a choice to become a parent or not. Their work helped create the foundation for many of the ways we continue to seek change for our community today. We will also be joined by LeNora Faye and Cody Hetzel, the co-founders of Childfree Media, and the co-moderators of the Childfree Convention, which was held for the 3rd year, this past weekend. You will not want to miss what these dynamic childfree guests have to share and exchange, from experiences and perspectives over the past 50 years, to their insight on what is most needed now, for our collective community to be recognized in equal and equitable ways, and beyond.

Join us in conversation with Stephanie Joy Phillips, the founder of World Childless Week. We will discuss the highlights of this year's event, which will be held 11-17 September 2023, and how you can participate. This will be the 7th year World Childless Week has taken place, and the event continues to evolve in content, and global participation. World Childless Week aims to raise awareness of the childless not by choice (cnbc) community and enable every childless person to share their story with confidence. It's for anyone who is childless despite their longing to be a parent because they have never been pregnant (for any reason), not carried full term or have suffered the sadness of a baby born sleeping. Tune in as we delve into the personal impact of pronatalism, as it relates to childlessness. We will discuss the ways in which everyday and significant interactions, times and environments can serve to reignite and impact grief and healing, in ways that can challenge one's very identity in the world.

LeNora Faye and Cody Hetzel are visible advocates for those who are childfree, through their individual public and private platforms, and their collective work and moderation of Childfree Convention. They are creators of content, conversation and connection that brings childfree people together, while engaging meaningful conversations for change. Today, we will discuss their advocacy, collaborative work, and the diverse content and speakers comprising the ever-expanding Childfree Convention. The dates for this year's Convention will be held on July 29th & 30th, just ahead of International Childfree Day. International Childfree Day is observed annually on August 1st. This day was first recognized in 1973, but the National Alliance of Optional Parenthood, and the celebration of on this date was revived by Laura Carroll, in 2013. 2023 is the 50-year celebration of this day! Join us to learn more about the importance of diverse childfree representation and how you can access and participate in this year's virtual Childfree Convention!

We often discuss the personal aspects of pronatalism, both in the community of people without children and on this show. We also look at how we are impacted in our everyday environments, such as the workplace. What comes to mind when you consider the global impact of pronatalism?

In this episode, we will explore the greater dimensions of pronatalism, including social stigma, reproductive autonomy and responsibility, and ecological perspectives. We will also speak to population pressures and the importance of centering discourse around the impact of population.

To guide us in this conversation, we are excited to have Nandita Bajaj, the Executive Director of Population Balance with us today! Nandita brings a depth of knowledge, wisdom and compassion as an educator and leading voice on the realities and impact of pronatalism.

Please join us to learn more, and share any questions you may have with us, ahead of the show!

Today's episode will offer listeners a timely, often-missing conversation about one of the least considered perspectives in pronatalist narratives, as we delve into the multi-layered impact of pronatalism on children.

We will address current realities and future implications for the personal, social and systemic layers of the pronatalist agenda and resulting policies, for children. We will assess the reality of when children are centered and not, around the very meaning and value assigned to their lives and future possibilities.

We will also explore questions such as, What kind of parents would children choose? and Should we really all have children?

Our guest today is Kristen Tsetsi. She is the visionary author of the childfree-informed, post-Roe novel, The Age of the Child. Kristen uses her writing to explore and normalize the childfree choice, and brings a breadth and depth of perspective and insight to this discussion. Tune in live, to learn more!

Whether it is your own experience, or that of someone you know, the dismissal of symptoms, minimization of pain, failure to diagnose or incorrect diagnoses, and other medical oversight have caused often irreparable physical issues, and prolonged pain and symptoms, in the gynecological world.

The high incidents and often life-long impact of medical care, absent of patient autonomy, remains prevalent with respect to gynecological disorders, and continues to impact more lives, every day.

How do we raise awareness of these realities, experienced by so many? How do we further educate ourselves, and hold the field of gynecology accountable, while inviting respect for patient autonomy, and compassionate care?

Joining us today, is Rachael Jablo, creator of The Hysteria Project. Rachael is a chronically ill, queer, Jewish, Berlin-based US-American artist who works with photography, installation, collage and occasionally performance. Through The Hysteria Project, Rachael honors and visual recognizes the personal narratives of those living with and who have experienced gynecological disorders.

Tune in live, to learn more about her powerful work, and what you can do today to learn more about these real life matters.