Our Voice Blog

Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

Talking to Kids About "Surviving R. Kelly"

The recent documentary, “Survivor R. Kelly”, tells the stories of the women and children who were abused and psychologically imprisoned by R. Kelly. He used his fame to approach them in schools and malls and make them feel special and cared for.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

5 Things We Are Thankful For

At My Life My Choice, we are thankful to be able to support our youth through every up and down life throws their way. We are sustained by celebrating each and every small, yet so significant, glimpse of hope and positive change in our mentees’ lives.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

A Reason to Hope

On Thursday, September 27, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford told her truth in public for the very first time in Washington, D.C. For many of us, we felt the pain of knowing that she had held on to this truth for so long and that in the end, she might not be believed.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

The Streets Don't Love You

In the fall, girls in our My Life My Choice Leadership Corps were asked to work on a campaign and create a poster as part of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) new Missing or Absent Children in Department Care or Custody policy.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

My Boys: Susan Reflects On Her New Experiences

After many years of serving exclusively girls, My Life My Choice recognized a need to begin serving boys and trans youth, ages 12 to 18. The expertise we gained working with commercially sexually exploited girls applies to this underserved population as well.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

Is the Media Hiding the Truth?

I frequently find myself wondering, how is it possible that people are so misinformed about the realities of domestic sex trafficking in the United States? The answer lies in the media representation of this issue.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

Fighting Exploitation Before it Starts

Each day, girls are manipulated, coerced, and forced into the commercial sex industry. If we are to stem the tide of exploitation, we must find a way to prevent this pain from ever occurring.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

The Streets Of Denver in a New Light

When I boarded a plane to Denver last March, I did so as a leader and an expert in the commercial sexual exploitation of children. When I last left Denver, I was a very different person.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

Transforming from Survivors to Leaders

Twice a week, for ten weeks each summer, the My Life My Choice office is abuzz with our annual Summer Leadership Corps. This summer of 2015 was no exception.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

I am More Than a Survivor

My Life My Choice was honored to bring the More Than a Survivor photo exhibit to Boston’s City Hall from October 7 to October 16, 2015, and was so grateful to the Mayor's Office for hosting.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

Are You Listening, Amnesty? #NoAmnesty4Pimps

As I write this blog post, two of our girls, Mara and Nisa, are missing. Both fifteen, they were referred to us when they were found to have been sold on Backpage.com. Grown men had bought them like commodities —for pleasure, for the rush, to do harm.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

Congressman Kennedy Meets Young Leaders of My Life My Choice

Earlier this year, Congress passed an important piece of legislation called the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act which will help hold offenders accountable, provide funding for prevention and education, and establish a Domestic Trafficking Victims’ Fund.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

"Exploitation Does Not Discriminate"

A straight-A student from a “good home”, there was no way I should have been exploited. My stepdad and I got into a fight and he threw me out of the house. Throwing me out of the house was like throwing me to a pack of wolves.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

PBS Documentary Features My Life My Choice

As a survivor, I have often faced people who do not take my voice seriously; people who think, “Once a ho, always a ho.” For a while, I believed that too. Now I know different.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

Our Film Debut

This is an incredibly exciting time at My Life My Choice and in the movement to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children. My Life My Choice and the often unspoken epidemic of sex trafficking are featured in a new documentary airing on PBS next week.

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Phyllis Kido Phyllis Kido

College Bound: A Story of Survival

Two weeks ago, I visited Tanya at her new home: her college dorm. When we first met Tanya, she was fourteen years old. She had been commercially sexually exploited by men who believed that she was a commodity that one could use and throw away.

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