"They asked me. How could you take your clothes off on stage in a strip club full of rowdy men? How could you brazenly show your face in the media, admitting you’re a sex worker? How could you break up with your husband to become a single mother while chronically ill and disabled? How could you share nude photos of your body at your age, with all your scars, no belly button, and an ostomy?"

“I thought everyone was like me growing up. I was raised in a family and neighborhood where people were shamed for showing fear. To show weakness of any kind was distasteful and invited disrespect. I would sooner get my ass kicked than run away from a fight.”