Epstein files discourse has me more convinced than ever that we need to be talking a lot less about "pedophiles" and talking a lot more about child sexual abuse.
I talked about how conservative authoritarians define "pedophilia" as "youth autonomy," but even among less overtly authoritarian communities, the spectre of The Pedophile is, at best, a distraction from the reality of CSA.
"Pedophiles" are a distinct, discrete type of person. They're Not Like Us, but also, they Could Be Anywhere. They're hiding in plain sight among us, lurking and sabotaging. Anyone could secretly one of them. They're queer, they're Jewish, they're vaguely foreign. They conspire. They're a cabal. They have secret signals. They're rich and powerful and secretly control governments, but they're also poor and dirty and hide in alleyways. They're sexually deviant. They're everywhere and nowhere, and you should constantly be on guard against anyone who might be one.
Child sexual abuse, on the other hand, is abuse. It's an action, not a type of person. Anyone can commit it, because it's an abuse of power, and all adults and many other children have power over all children. Any adult has the ability to sexually abuse a child, because every adult has the ability to wield power over any child. Child sexual abuse is part of the continuum of child abuse, which in turn is part of the continuum of abuse, which can be committed by anyone who has the power to commit it.
The Epstein clients are the most prosaic phenomenon in the world. Rich, powerful people trafficked powerless people to force the powerless people to serve them. Rich, powerful people got away with breaking laws. Rich, powerful people uses people as objects -- in this case, as sex objects, but by the same structural mechanisms by which they use people to clean their houses, pick their crops, and assemble widgets in their factories.
It's not A Secret Cabal Of Pedophiles Conspiratorially Running The Government. It's just kyriarchy working as intended. Absolutely, keep up the pressure to release the Epstein files and prove what we already know, but if you're using "pedophiles" in a sentence where "illuminati" would make sense, put down the conspiracy juice and pick up the youthlib juice instead.
I chose blackthorn to accompany them since it can symbolize hope amongst adversity, and the simplicity of the flowers really speaks to how Cailean is like ๐ฅบ
my bsky for more art
A Plea for Help from Gaza: A Family Seeking Safety
Trapped Family in Gaza Appeals for Help to Survive
We live in the midst of the ongoing hellish war in Gaza, trapped between walls of fear and despair.
My name is Suhaila, a mother of five children. We are fleeing death. Our home has been completely destroyed, and my husband, Shadi, has been badly injured in the war. We are now living on the street with no shelter, no tent, and no food.
Today, we have nothing to eat. We are starving.
The army has declared our area a danger zone and ordered everyone to evacuate. We had no choice but to flee with only the clothes on our backs.
We urgently need:
A sack of flour, which now costs $850
Milk for my baby
Medicine for my injured husband
A tent or any form of shelter, which costs around $1,000
We are in immediate danger, and every moment is a fight for survival.
Please, if you can help with $850, $1,000, or whatever you can, it could save our lives.
Your help is our only hope.
This campaign is verified on Gazavetters (49) by 90-ghost and J Mi3 @el-shab-hussein.
๐ฌ 69ย ย ๐ 5658ย ย โค๏ธ 1297ย ยทย My name is Suheila from Gaza ๐ต๐ธ,
a mother of 5 children, living with my family in a tent after the war destroyed ou
Please share and support. We are truly desperate.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
We urgently appeal for your moral and financial assistance to cover the necessary costs for escaping to a safe environment, where we can build a better future for our children and ensure our family's safety.
We are in desperate need of your support. Any donation, no matter how small, can help save our lives. Thank you for your attention and support during these harsh times.
Donation link
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Suheila, who is a mโฆ Mickey Dee needs your support for Support Suhaila's family in
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