Erased Narratives and Past Pleasures

It took me seventeen years to figure out what sex actually is. Intuition could only go so far, and no, films and pop culture don’t even come close to painting an accurate picture around sex. As it turns out, growing up in an Arab country really is that good at “shielding” women from the truth around sex and sexuality. I went to an all-girls school, had mostly female teachers, have only one sister, and was expected not to consort with boys pretty much since I was born. I have been surrounded by wonderful women my entire life, all of whom have strongly reinforced the notion that I was never allowed to ask questions about my body and sexuality, and that they certainly were not planning to divulge any answers.