Female Genital Mutilation and the Right Side of History
These screen shots have been taken from TRAcists. I think it's such a shocking thing it deserves a platform of its own
FGM, the practice of sexual violence perpetrated on a (normally) prepubescent girl that can include removing and the labia majora and clitoris (historically by a local 'cutter', in a desert tent, with no anaesthesia) and sewing up the whole region but for a miniscule gap for urination and menstruation. Often practiced with no sterilisation equipment - in fact often the dried blood of previous victims is never cleaned off, such is the ceremonial importance. The girls spend weeks later bound from the waist down, in agony, before being ripped open for sex when married. The use of the word female has caused a lot of upset within the group of trans activists who believe it is somehow gender based abuse, despite this only happening to females. Recently a bill in Wyoming to ban FGM was opposed by those who thought it could effect transgender surgeries
Here, Various Attacks on a Black, Immigrant, Lesbian Woman, Jana Cornell. She who Along with Millions of Others Suffered the Horrific Crime Known as Female Genital Mutilation. For Calling Female Genital Mutilation What it is, She Gets Unbelievable Harassment and Abuse.
It is also worth mentioning, Jana is never abusive towards trans people and has frequently called out transphobia.
It's interesting, but as of today the only man of that name I could find on Twitter was this guy - also with dark beard and shirtless
Hibo Wardere, one extraordinarily brave woman who was subjected to FGM age 6. Her writing on this subject is incredibly moving and brutal, and the kindness and dignity she shows people is difficult to believe. She is a one woman powerhouse who has painstakingly transcribed books on FGM from Somali to English, using a dictionary, with no help, when bringing up children. For her to have demands placed on her by activists to use western-centric language and be abused for not complying appears to be the height of first world exceptionalism to me.
Below is Isobel, a proud member of Steph's Place
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| Isobel of everyone's favourite shithole, Steph's Place |
What Hibo has ever said that is transphobic, over stating that women have female biology, is unstated
Taylor Lianne Chandler made a name for herself by claiming to have a relationship with swimmer Michael Phelps. She has a DSD and as such was subjected to genital surgery as a baby. This is something many feminists, esp those called TERFs, rage against (and is likely encouraged by the rhetoric of trans rights activists that 'intersex' people are not male or female). Hibo has repeatedly said she supports campaigns against this, but is still abused for not conflating it with FGM
These comments were not condemned by Oger and many were still up on Facebook years later
Blackvalleygurl, originally from Somalia, faces similar accusations...
Hetty Halpin Wilde makes some extraordinary claims, not supported by a single FGM survivor I have ever seen
Finally, a journey into the mind of Jessica Pin, @MediClit. Pin is not a medical doctor, but educated herself on clitoral anatomy after she went for a labioplasty which was botched, resulting in her clitoral nerve supply being damaged. She has taken on an important topic but in doing so has also spoken on FGM as analogous, along with trans rights activism-speak (although has fallen foul there, too), and gone full steam into insulting feminists
Hibo did not 'like' tweets which were derogatory. The resolve of this woman to only entertain useful conversation and never react with anger is breathtaking, she is remarkably focused on positive action and has spectacular dignity. Strangely, Pin seems to be very happy to tell other women to stoic and take responsibility while perceiving every disagreement as an attack
I stayed a while for the anecdotes...
'One lady' who knows that cosmetic surgery done under anaesthesia, for cosmetic reasons on adults, is somewhat different to cultural purity standards which require butchering of little girls without anaesthesia, without sterile equipment (the "cutters'" tools are sometimes considered sacred and are not even washed) that results in complete removal of external genitals, stitching up so only a tiny hole is left for menstruation and urination... Hibo, Jana, were subjected to FGM type 4 - infibulation. This is a specific human rights issue which deserves its own words and campaigns
I wish women like Miss Anthrope were heard more
How is mutilation to girl's genitals a deterrent from prostitution and promiscuity unless it renders sex painful (excruciating) and free of pleasure?
Undoubtedly, this will be continued...
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