You know, I don't talk about this very often, but there was this insane man masquerading as a family therapist who groomed me and eventually molested me from 12 on.
When I told my mom the first time he hugged me with what I thought was an erection (because how would I know)...
When I told my mom the first time he hugged me with what I thought was an erection (because how would I know)...
...she said, "don't you know that this is what people do when they love eachother?"
I never mentioned it again.
Until I sued the living shit out of him in civil and medical license proceedings at 19, and went to trial.
I never mentioned it again.
Until I sued the living shit out of him in civil and medical license proceedings at 19, and went to trial.
The criminal statute of limitations expired when I was 18 because it was 1991 and it was Pennsylvania, which sucked.
But at the trial, my mom testified on HIS behalf, claiming I was a slut and/or crazy and/or made it all up to hurt her.
But at the trial, my mom testified on HIS behalf, claiming I was a slut and/or crazy and/or made it all up to hurt her.
I haven't seen her since that day, in the basement of a Harrisburg courthouse, when she laughed at me on the way out of court.
It turned out that she had likely had an affair with him for five years while he was molesting me, and I was a "gift."
It turned out that she had likely had an affair with him for five years while he was molesting me, and I was a "gift."
NOW, I ask you to imagine what it would feel like to have the President of the United States stand up and say "I wish her well" to a woman like my biological mother.
I ask you not to think about pardons, or conspiracy theories, or complicity, or signals.
I ask you not to think about pardons, or conspiracy theories, or complicity, or signals.
I ask you to think about HARM.
Because for every child victim, there are those who enabled it, and those who ignored it, and those who consciously chose to allow it.
Our President is one, TODAY.
And that is just fucking unacceptable.
Because for every child victim, there are those who enabled it, and those who ignored it, and those who consciously chose to allow it.
Our President is one, TODAY.
And that is just fucking unacceptable.
And PS. I am not asking for your compassion, let alone your pity. I've done my fucking work, and I'm good.
I'm thinking about the child who is currently disassociating under the body of a molester, watching the President wish those ignoring or enabling it "well."
I'm thinking about the child who is currently disassociating under the body of a molester, watching the President wish those ignoring or enabling it "well."
Fuck it, I'm going to add one other thing.
My civil case settled out of court for six figures, because the evidence was so solid that the insurance company didn't want a trial in their case.
My civil case settled out of court for six figures, because the evidence was so solid that the insurance company didn't want a trial in their case.
That money, which I never wanted and always felt weird about, put me through my first year of law school and a little bit more.
I spent it on a degree that would make me the kind of lawyer that I had at that moment.
And THIS is what I keep thinking about:
I spent it on a degree that would make me the kind of lawyer that I had at that moment.
And THIS is what I keep thinking about:
The healing that is being prevented. The shame that is growing. The potential for transmuting trauma into revolution that is being halted, across every representation of the marginalized, traumatized, and oppressed.
THAT'S WHO HE IS. THAT IS WHAT HE DOES.
THAT'S WHO HE IS. THAT IS WHAT HE DOES.
He perpetrates it, and then he makes it worse.
And then he stops progression that would prevent it from happening again.
Make America Great Again is about reliving and reperpetrating trauma.
And NONE of it stops until he's gone.
And then he stops progression that would prevent it from happening again.
Make America Great Again is about reliving and reperpetrating trauma.
And NONE of it stops until he's gone.
PPS. Some of you may want to see the speech I gave at the #MeTooRallyNYC in December of 2018 in front of Trump International during a blizzard.
I meant every fucking word I said.
YOUR TIME IS OVER.
https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethCroniseMcLaughlin/posts/1784051131643783
I meant every fucking word I said.
YOUR TIME IS OVER.
https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethCroniseMcLaughlin/posts/1784051131643783
December of 2017. Tequila.
What a fucking day.
What a fucking day.