The personal is political. So strange- of all the possible reactions to the past few days’ postings, the ones I received were not anticipated. For all of you who sent me personal messages, I am deeply touched by your support and compassion. I have read each of your messages, and your honesty and courage have helped to ease the fear and isolation that have kept me living in the shadow of my sadnesses far too long. I am humbled by your humanity. I am honored that you’ve entrusted me with your stories. I’m answering your notes as quickly as I can. For you who have shared your public support, I thank you for your show of solidarity. Your action has helped me stand up in the resulting shit-storm of backlash to my original essay. What took forty years to finally dare to express was so immediately squashed by a mere voice mail; thank you for encouraging me to not hide in shame. My kneejerk kowtow to the institution of silence was practically unconscious. I realize now to continue to do so not only privileges micro-systems of oppression on the family level, and reinforces on a meta-level the illusion of my experience being an isolated event, but contributes to the macro-systems of cultural oppression that so many of us have suffered. To be shamed back into silence would only strengthen the systems that I see now are poisoning us all, and do a disservice to the courage you all have shown by sharing your personal stories with me. [As for the pressures to retract my original post, I do not understand the motivations behind them. I can only wonder why my claims to ownership of my own story are not seen for what they are. This new interest in what I do and say, after years of absence or denial, I feel, are not my issues, but theirs to ponder.] If you had thought in the past that you were alone in your experience, you were not. If it can be of any comfort that what you experienced was not an isolated event, know that it was not. What happened to you was very personal and isolating. But it was also part of a systemic cultural sickness. To all of you who have offered me your support, I am overwhelmed. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 22:56:46 +0000
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