Celebrating 50 Years of Advocacy: NON, NAOP & Int’l Childfree Day
August 1, 2023
Hosted by Christine Erickson
[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]
Guest Information
Episode Description
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.
New Legacy Radio
Tuesday at 10 AM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
New Legacy Radio is a social justice platform about people without children. This space is intended to bring visibility and change to our experiences, to connect with our allies and anyone committed to learning more from our community, which is reaching an estimated one-third of the global population. The show addresses the social, systemic, and structural realities perpetuated by reproductive and relational identity bias. We discuss the impact of pronatalist behavior and policies, through the perspectives of our community and allies, as we work to achieve meaningful change that recognizes the truly diverse, intersectional continuum of our experiences. New Legacy Radio is brought to you by New Legacy Institute (NLI), which is policy institute, focused on the global culture and impact of pronatalism. The Institute’s social justice advocacy serves the growing, global community of people without children. NLI’s mission is to generate constructive change in cultural, organizational, and institutional policies that exhibit biases against people without children.
Christine Erickson
Christine Erickson (she/her) is the founder of New Legacy Institute. The Institute’s purpose is to advocate for change around social realities and policy inequities faced by those who do not have children. Christine is involuntarily childless by circumstance (cxc), and touched on her experiences in her award-winning book, The Mother Within: A Guide to Accepting Your Childless Journey. (2015) A revised edition is forthcoming. Her current writing focuses on the unacknowledged impact of women who are childless/childfree due to circumstances. Christine is dedicated to advancing the diverse narratives and experiences of people without children. She is a staunch advocate of our community’s equitable inclusion and belonging in the workplace, media & entertainment narratives, and making visible the ways in which our community is impacted by culture and policy, and the change we seek. As an executive and entrepreneur, she has lived and worked globally, for the majority of her career. She is an experienced executive coach, leadership educator, and the founder of the Center for Consent-Driven Leadership. She is writing a forthcoming book: Consent-Driven: Rethinking the Culture of Leadership. Christine is an advocate for justice reform in family law and court procedures, involuntary pro se representation, and multifaceted accountability regarding violence against women. She has also consulted on international women’s law and development, gender equity and healthcare access initiatives.
