You can help me grow this series by sending this post to others. These stories need to be told, and I know there are so many people who want to learn this history. Will you help me reach them?
You and the women you interviewed are amazing. I'm grateful for their bravery in speaking, and for yours in enduring the research to write this piece. I absolutely hated it. Thank you.
I have felt a lot of emotions while reading your article. Anger, helplessness, sadness. I cried. I cried for all the women who have been through this. I cried because of the unfairness. I don't like to admit it, but I felt hate. Hate towards all the men who wanted to control the women and wanted to do so, so they could feel powerful or benefit in some way.
It is heartbreaking. I did know FGM happened, but I did not know all this information.
Although it was hard to read (because the subject is overwhelming), I am glad I read it. Thank you for writing the stories of these women. Congratulations for your power, ambition and courage!
And thank you to the women in this story, who were willing to share their experiences with us. Thank you for allowing us to see your suffering and your vulnerability. I imagine it was not easy. You are wonderful, you are lovable, you are brave. Thank you!
Brooke, I read as many posts of yours as I can and I love all of them, but this one hit differently.
OMG. I don't think I've heard of this, in this country. Or at least not to the degree you've carefully documented. I'm very close to age 70, male, Caucasian. I've learned more in the last 20 years, and in particular, the past 10 or so; than I ever learned in school or life here in 'murica.
And it's all due to people willing to do the work, take the risk, to get the word out. This is across the board on our history, gender, race, religion, politics, military, economics, environment, science...the list is endless. Thank you Brooke, again.
To the women that contributed to this piece and everyone that FGM has effected throughout the world… I simply do not have the words. 💜
To Brooke, I once wrote a paper on this when I was in college. It was barely the tip of the iceberg of what you have done here.
This piece and the work that you do is important. I am glad that you were able to overcome the “intruder” on this article and were still able to complete it. It deserves to be seen. Your voice deserves to be heard.
The world is a better place because of people like you.
This is such an important topic. Unfortunately, because it's so awful, no one wants to face that it not only still happens overseas, but also here in the "civilized" United States.
Thank you for telling the stories of the victims, not the perpetrators. It's a difficult delicate balance to find, especially in gender or race based crimes, but you did and do. Too often the villains get the spotlight and the victims get hardly a footnote. I'm so sorry you had to deal with that creep and his fantasies. Men are so consistently horrifying.
I haven't read it all yet, Brooke. I am still working through it a little at a time because it is so heavy. Thank you for the research. I know it has been a difficult piece to put together, not just because of the content, but also because of some of the interviews you had.
“You couldn’t go to a doctor for anything without them being suspicious you just want them to touch you sexually. Whose minds were really full of sexual ideas?”
This reminds me of an incident when I was in my teens, and at the doctor's for a checkup - I think mandatory physical for school athletics. I told him about chest pain I'd been having, and he dismissed it as muscle cramps without any kind of exam. I was confused and ashamed because I thought I'd done something wrong that made him unwilling to check it out. It wasn't until 20 years later that I found out another woman (much older than me) had also felt uncomfortable around him, just like I did, and ask the pieces clicked into place - he was unable to control himself in the same room as a pubescent teenage girl with her shirt off (and my dad on the other side of the door).
I still have chest pain as well as palpitations, and still have yet to find a doctor that will actually take me seriously.
gosh this took me several days to read through. again and again i became SO ANGRY and desperate and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness came over me. I am enraged to find out how much of women's and marginalized people's history is untold, and we live in constant gaslighting about how oppression is not that bad, that people just "held silly beliefs". f that. Brooke is doing such an important work. thank you!
There was so much of this information that I had no idea about. Thank you for the thoughtful and thorough work you put into this. Thank you to the women who spoke up to share their stories.
I've been guilty of making the "can't find the clit" joke in the past. I had never considered how that could make someone feel. Needless to say, I will not be making that type of joke again.
I learned a lot from this. I will absolutely be sharing this information with people. Thank you again.
You can help me grow this series by sending this post to others. These stories need to be told, and I know there are so many people who want to learn this history. Will you help me reach them?
You and the women you interviewed are amazing. I'm grateful for their bravery in speaking, and for yours in enduring the research to write this piece. I absolutely hated it. Thank you.
Thank you ♥️
I'm at a loss for words.
Brooke, thank you for this important work you do.
I have felt a lot of emotions while reading your article. Anger, helplessness, sadness. I cried. I cried for all the women who have been through this. I cried because of the unfairness. I don't like to admit it, but I felt hate. Hate towards all the men who wanted to control the women and wanted to do so, so they could feel powerful or benefit in some way.
It is heartbreaking. I did know FGM happened, but I did not know all this information.
Although it was hard to read (because the subject is overwhelming), I am glad I read it. Thank you for writing the stories of these women. Congratulations for your power, ambition and courage!
And thank you to the women in this story, who were willing to share their experiences with us. Thank you for allowing us to see your suffering and your vulnerability. I imagine it was not easy. You are wonderful, you are lovable, you are brave. Thank you!
Brooke, I read as many posts of yours as I can and I love all of them, but this one hit differently.
I agree. The women were so very brave to tell their own stories and help tell others. We are all better off that they did.
Thank you!
OMG. I don't think I've heard of this, in this country. Or at least not to the degree you've carefully documented. I'm very close to age 70, male, Caucasian. I've learned more in the last 20 years, and in particular, the past 10 or so; than I ever learned in school or life here in 'murica.
And it's all due to people willing to do the work, take the risk, to get the word out. This is across the board on our history, gender, race, religion, politics, military, economics, environment, science...the list is endless. Thank you Brooke, again.
I am glad you found it educational. ♥️
To the women that contributed to this piece and everyone that FGM has effected throughout the world… I simply do not have the words. 💜
To Brooke, I once wrote a paper on this when I was in college. It was barely the tip of the iceberg of what you have done here.
This piece and the work that you do is important. I am glad that you were able to overcome the “intruder” on this article and were still able to complete it. It deserves to be seen. Your voice deserves to be heard.
The world is a better place because of people like you.
You have my endless respect and admiration.
Thank you.
I’m glad you wrote on that too. It is surprisingly not talked about enough even in my search for academic papers on it.
Deepest anger at the perpetrators. Honored at the courage of those sharing what they endured.
This is such an important topic. Unfortunately, because it's so awful, no one wants to face that it not only still happens overseas, but also here in the "civilized" United States.
Thank you for telling the stories of the victims, not the perpetrators. It's a difficult delicate balance to find, especially in gender or race based crimes, but you did and do. Too often the villains get the spotlight and the victims get hardly a footnote. I'm so sorry you had to deal with that creep and his fantasies. Men are so consistently horrifying.
Good lord. This is revelatory. I’m a long time fan of your work. Thank you for what you do.
Thank you ♥️
I haven't read it all yet, Brooke. I am still working through it a little at a time because it is so heavy. Thank you for the research. I know it has been a difficult piece to put together, not just because of the content, but also because of some of the interviews you had.
Thank you ♥️♥️
I had to consume it in three chunks. Hard stuff, but so glad I did. How is this real life?!? If we can even call it that. xxxx
I’m only partway through but I am crying. I had no idea
I understand. I cried a lot writing this. ♥️
Incredible piece Brooke 💔
Thank you ♥️♥️♥️
Thank you for doing this. ❤️❤️❤️
“You couldn’t go to a doctor for anything without them being suspicious you just want them to touch you sexually. Whose minds were really full of sexual ideas?”
This reminds me of an incident when I was in my teens, and at the doctor's for a checkup - I think mandatory physical for school athletics. I told him about chest pain I'd been having, and he dismissed it as muscle cramps without any kind of exam. I was confused and ashamed because I thought I'd done something wrong that made him unwilling to check it out. It wasn't until 20 years later that I found out another woman (much older than me) had also felt uncomfortable around him, just like I did, and ask the pieces clicked into place - he was unable to control himself in the same room as a pubescent teenage girl with her shirt off (and my dad on the other side of the door).
I still have chest pain as well as palpitations, and still have yet to find a doctor that will actually take me seriously.
gosh this took me several days to read through. again and again i became SO ANGRY and desperate and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness came over me. I am enraged to find out how much of women's and marginalized people's history is untold, and we live in constant gaslighting about how oppression is not that bad, that people just "held silly beliefs". f that. Brooke is doing such an important work. thank you!
There was so much of this information that I had no idea about. Thank you for the thoughtful and thorough work you put into this. Thank you to the women who spoke up to share their stories.
I've been guilty of making the "can't find the clit" joke in the past. I had never considered how that could make someone feel. Needless to say, I will not be making that type of joke again.
I learned a lot from this. I will absolutely be sharing this information with people. Thank you again.