Voluntary amputation article

[Maureen]

Dear Esther,

> I attended a women-only discussion of devotees at the 1996
> ACA convention.  One woman (mother of child amputee) left
> the room because she had never heard of devotees and she
> didn't want to hear about them.

Which is a perfectly natural thing for any mother to feel on hearing that
someone may be sexually attracted to her child.

>I think a magazine article
> in a popular magazine mentioning that they exist, and that
> some are predators, is a good method of imparting that information
> to the general population.

The majority of sexual predators are non-devotee, heterosexual, middle-aged,
white men.  Perhaps the Atlantic should hire someone to write about them and
judge their desires as revolting, as well.

>I was 30+ before I knew those
> existed, but how would I have handled receiving a solicitation
> to pose for pictures when I was 15 (if I had been a lot younger
> when the internet exploded)?

I believe you would have been protected by the laws against the very real
perversion of pedophilia (such as they are).

> You get used to it.  I feel neutral about my amputated appearance,
> but have never thought it was ugly.  It just is, like wearing glasses
> or disliking vinegar-y flavors.
>
Well said!

>I wonder how many
> people who want a limb amputated go into the mine-removing profession
> (a profession where you are likely to become an amputee)?

Me, too.

Take care,
Mo