The arrival of the female Sinterklaas was not to the liking of the opposition party N-VA, which called the initiative on social media “woker than woke”. There was also little enthusiasm for the activity within the council (Open Vld, CD&V, Vooruit and Groen) and around 7 p.m., just before the start of the city council, the news arrived that ‘Queen Nikkolah’ is not welcome in the city hall after all.
“In the context of an open debate about inclusivity, this is a valuable initiative,” says councilor of International Solidarity Hafsa El-Bazioui (Green). “For example, this artist points out to us that there could be more room for girls in visible roles during a children’s party.”
Yet she agrees with the criticism within the majority. “The town hall is not the best place for this, for example, no Sinterklaas party has taken place yet. The organizer will look for a better place to continue this valuable activity. It is certainly an event that deserves a place in our city.”
Sinterklaas already arrived in Ghent on November 19, with a large number of Soot Petes around him. El-Bazioui notes that this tradition will continue and that Sinterklaas will also make an appearance at staff events or in schools.
“How patronizing can you be?”, responds N-VA faction leader Anneleen Van Bossuyt. “It reminds me of the earlier proposal to… Pippi Longstocking– give books in our city library a racism label or warning. Or even book burnings. In Ghent, the pedantic finger or attempts at censorship are never far away.”
Racial and gender boundaries
Queen Nikkolah is a character created by artist Laura Nsengiyumva, through which she questions classic racial and gender boundaries. On Monday evening, when the event had already been cancelled, the fuss was completely out of the blue. “I already thought I had a lot of missed calls,” says Nsengiyumva, laughing.
She is on maternity leave and did not have her mobile phone in view. “This shows that Queen Nikkolah still has a magical effect on people,” she says. “It’s a tradition, of course.” The intention is to look at tradition in a different way, according to the city, without canceling the traditional Sinterklaas.
But children who have questions about the classic Sinterklaas, or who have outdated books with stereotypical images, were also allowed to come and exchange them on December 6. They would then receive a copy of a contemporary reworking that takes sensitivities into account.
That’s what matters Rikki helps Sinterklaas by author Guido van Genechten, Luuk and Lotje – It’s Sinterklaas by Ruth Wielockx, it Day Sinterklaas –reading book by Lise Lambert and Hugo Matthysen or Lotta and the letters for Santa by Diane Put. For some, such as Flemish Minister of Justice Zuhal Demir (N-VA), this amounts to destroying books.
“What would Queen Nikkolah do with those old Sinterklaas books? Including campfire? In the vault of Degenerate Art? There is a word for Queen Nikkolah’s ideas.”
There were already more than 200 registrations for the event in the Ghent town hall, which will therefore not be allowed to take place.
