Horny History: Elizabeth Packard
Horny History: Elizabeth Packard
It’s real history, as told by some horny dude in my inbox and me.
This post contains out of date language on mental illness. Reader discretion is advised.
Elizabeth Packard told her oppressor, a man named Dr. McFarland, he was destined to see her “rising and applauded as the world’s reformer.”
Those words might not have scared him then, but they should have.
Part Two
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Was it coincidence he asked if I see myself in Elizabeth? She is one of my heroes. Her story makes me wonder if I could have ended up in an asylum, if not for her. I, like so many women, have been called insane by a man for my ideas, and just like Elizabeth they were for feminist thoughts. I hope you found her inspiring too.
Elizabeth achieved her success despite both her husband and McFarland actively trying to stop her by publishing unflattering pieces in newspapers. She persisted. You might think that the truth of the Jacksonville asylum having been made public, complete change would arise. Just as today, too many rich men’s fortunes depended on this monstrous place carrying on. Yet some change did happen and it happened due to Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s story is an homage to the idea that if enough of us fight back, we can win, even against all their money.
Sadly, many people in her time just weren’t able to see how brilliant she was. Despite her vast popularity and hard work, she died with many still slaying her character and questioning her mental health. McFarland, being a rich man, managed to save his reputation at the time. He even had a mental health center in Illinois named after him. That is, until 2023 when it was finally renamed. It’s now named after Elizabeth Packard.
The fight against imprisonment is not over. There are still people imprisoned in migrant facilities, jails, prisons, and even disabled children being abused (see link). Be Elizabeth. Make the change.
Sources:
The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore
Declared Insane for Speaking Up: The Dark American History of Silencing Women Through Psychiatry
‘A bill drawn by a woman:’ Mrs. Packard and rights for the insane
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Entertaining AND informative as always. Plus a butter blog pic.