Reflections on silence

There's always some reason I'm not allowed to speak, some reason my particular perspective is invalid or why my opinion doesn't count--because I'm:
a girl / woman / mom / wife
too young or too old
too pretty (and thus too dumb)
too ugly to be seen/heard
too fat to have value
bad/no teeth
bisexual not full lesbian or straight
cis not trans
divorced
a single mother
neurodivergent
not educated / successful enough
poor/broke/low income/underemployed
too direct
too loud
too emotional
too aggressive
too angry
Well, I'm gonna keep talking anyway.


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