 About the Author:
Gina Waggott is a writer, editor, disability advocate, and filmmaker from the UK. She is the author of Scatman John: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Unlikeliest Popstar, which Bloomsbury published in February 2026. Gina is a covert stutterer who has been an active member of the stuttering community for 25 years. She is a former Vice Chair of Stamily, a diverse worldwide network for people who stutter and their allies, a former trustee of the European League of Stuttering Associations, and is currently the operations lead at 50 Million Voices, championing speech equality in the workplace. |
For years, I lived a paradox: I badly wanted the world to understand my stuttering, while at the same time never letting anyone hear it. I was 100% covert to the point where many friends and even my family had no idea – though they knew about other ‘odd’ behaviours, like never asking for things in shops, answering the phone, or just being generally shy, quiet Gina.
I was both afraid of and deeply ashamed of my voice. Yet this had unintended consequences – the people around me never learned anything about stuttering, and I was helping preserve the silence and stigma that I wanted society to break.
This all changed recently. When I was a teenager, I had clawed my way towards acceptance with the help of an overt, famous stutterer called John Larkin AKA Scatman John. That’s a whole other story, but when he passed away in 1999, I went back to hiding again because it was too hard for me, too irresistible to not have to deal with all the negative responses and thoughts and feelings that would overwhelm me.
More recently, after writing a book about John, I knew I would be forced into the media if I wanted any chance of promoting it properly. My publisher booked me on podcasts, radio interviews (some live), and in-person events. I had a choice. I could continue to hide, or I could use the platform and the opportunity to normalise stuttering. So I chose something that absolutely terrified me – I decided not only to stutter overtly, but to throw a ton of voluntary stuttering in, too. Talk about a complete reversal. I just thought “f*ck it” – and felt I owed it to John, who had been so overt and out-with-it about his stutter. Hearing him was the catalyst for my road to acceptance, and I realised that baton had now been passed to me.
Being in the public eye is a strange thing. Celebrities who stutter are often held up as examples and role models, and they can do enormous good. But they cannot carry the burden of creating understanding for millions of people who stutter, and yet, sometimes, we seem to expect them to. If representation is a famous person giving an interview (usually while not stuttering or not admitting to currently stuttering), then it remains exceptional rather than the ordinary, but we – you, me – can change this.
The stuttering community is wonderful, but it is also insular. We talk mostly among ourselves (and who can blame us?). We’re preaching to the converted – people who already understand stuttering are often talking to others who also understand stuttering. But where do most of the problems in our stuttering lives come from? From the outside world – from stigma, ignorance, misunderstanding, discrimination. We need to talk to the outside world… to bring it into the conversation.
I don’t mean you have to get on a stage, do live radio, or do anything spectacular. Small-scale, repeated representation matters and you can do this in ordinary life. Explain blocking to a work colleague. Tell your classmates what it feels like when someone finishes your words or sentence. Bring it up in an inclusion discussion. Hell, talk about Scatman John or other celebrities who stutter, if you don’t want to make it personal.
This normalisation – the everyday – is more powerful than the big “inspiration” stories. We don’t need spectacular ‘overcoming’ or ‘get rid of it’ tropes – we just need ordinary people – the teachers, accountants, nurses, parents, engineers, whoever, simply going ahead and stuttering whilst living their lives. We need every shade of stuttering to be heard. Imagine if stuttering was so out there, so prevalent, that it becomes what it essentially already is – just another way of talking that needn’t be wrapped up in fear or shame.
Not everyone wants to disclose or advocate, and they shouldn’t feel they have to. I’ve had days where I get an ignorant response and I just don’t have the bandwidth or battery to start educating someone that day. I’ve learned to give myself grace when I feel like I should be “representing” all the time, or when I feel I’ve failed if I hide a word or avoid explaining stuttering to someone.
Not everyone can do this easily, either. But just by talking as we talk, we can do something for those who are still hiding, ashamed, or isolated. A thousand small acts of visibility are how something stops being hidden, and starts becoming more accepted.
At a recent NSA convention I mentioned the phrase “be the change you want to see in the world”. For stuttering, I say: be the voice you want to hear.
And how do you do that? You just go ahead… and stutter!
Dear Gina,
Thank you so much for this brilliant paper. Indeed, normalisation of stuttering is what is needed.
There are so many gems of wisdom in your writing and in your experience. I am going to:
a) Carry on doing my best to live in the way that you encourage us to, and
b) Share your writing with therapist, parents of children who stutter, teachers, and other people who stutter
Thanks again,
Hanan
Dear Hanan
Thank you so much for reading – and sharing. As someone who also knows first-hand the amount of shame and stigma that stuttering carries, I’m delighted this resonated with you… and I hope you’ll continue to share your own wisdom, too. I know you will!
All my best
Gina
Ah Gina – you say it so well. The normalization of everyday stuttering is what’s needed in order to break the silence and stigma of stuttering. The very stigma that our silence perpetuates.
I’m glad you’ve touched on covert stuttering – we don’t talk about it enough in the stuttering community. I think both PWS and SLPs don’t know enough about the complexities of trying to pass as fluent. I’ll never forget being questioned at my first stuttering group meeting – why was I there? I didn’t stutter, according to that person. I felt so unseen and so unwelcome. She questioned me in front of the group. Thank goodness I didn’t let that stop me from going back. Maybe someone said something to her as I never saw her again, in the approximate 9 more months I attended that group.
What you’ve done has broken some barriers. But you’re right – the stuttering community is very insular. We need more of us every day people talking about stuttering while actually stuttering. We’ll make the difference that “inspiration porn” just can’t do.
Down with famous stutterers who don’t stutter. Let’s try to cause a revolution finally somehow and stutter out loud so that’s it’s as normal as all the other different ways of talking!
Keep being loud, my friend!
Thanks for this apt reminder!
Pam
Hi Pam
Thanks for the lovely comments and for sharing your experience – I had no idea you were questioned in a support group. That was exactly what prevented me from coming to the stuttering community at first… I thought “I’m too fluent” because of the hiding. Agree – thank goodness you went back, we would have lost one of our most brilliant advocates!
I think it’s okay if celebrities don’t stutter – after all, they may be still hiding – but so long as they talk about it in the present tense i.e. “I stutter” instead of “I used to”. There’s a huge difference there in changing perceptions…. the first shows that stuttering can be covert. The second suggests it’s something to ‘get over’ in order to be successful.
Keep being loud, and being yourself, too!
Gina
“We just need ordinary people – the teachers, accountants, nurses, parents, engineers, whoever, simply going ahead and stuttering whilst living their lives”…yes, yes, yes!!! And I love that you are getting the opportunity to do this very thing through your book.
As a speech-language therapist, “small-scale, repeated representation in ordinary life” really resonated with me in relation to how we can encourage and walk alongside our clients, whether they be children, teens, or adults. What would that look like for them? How might they be empowered to take tangible steps toward small-scale representation in their everyday lives? Thank you, Gina, for this reflection (and so thankful we got to meet in person this past year)!
Hey Ana
It was great meeting you too! Thanks for your kind comments. I’d say start small – for example I didn’t even talk about stuttering with my close friends. Start with people who you consider a ‘safe space’ and who you think will respond positively, since as we know, the big wide world is not always that kind to people with communication differences. Then you arm yourself with more confidence to spread that out to your wider circle, then strangers… then whoever else. Hope that helps 🙂
Thank you for being a leading light!
Gina
I agree: as I said in my own article we need to celebrate everyone out there who just goes out and lives their lives while continuing to stutter openly. To my mind that is the REAL definition of “overcoming”.
100% agree with just go out there and live your life… I also like the phrase “get out of your own way”! 🙂
Thanks for reading!
Love your article!
I used it in a group therapy session already. Everyone read it and we discussed what it means to the participants. All agreed that ‘we’ should get more out there. It was an inspiration for the participants to let other people hear stuttering (even) more.
So thank you for sharing this!
Thank you so much Joeri!
I’m so pleased you were able to use this in a group session and I hope the participants go ‘out there’ and let the world hear them stutter. This made my day. Thank you! 🙂
Thank you for sharing your paper! I especially loved and agree with your point about how the “everyday” and “ordinary people” can have a greater impact than the “inspirational stories” from celebrities. Even the smallest act of revealing one’s stutter can be very powerful and help us move toward normalizing stuttering. Thank you, again!
Absolutely… it’s down to us, the ‘ordinary’ folk. Thank you for reading, and for your kind words!
Gina
I thought it was interesting how you explained that people can hide their stuttering so well that even their friends and family may not know. It made me think about how important it is for SLPs to understand the experiences behind what we hear during speech. How can we best support clients who stutter covertly while also respecting their comfort level with disclosing their stuttering to others?
Hi Isbella
Great question. When I went to speech therapy (in the 90s) the attitude was that there was no outward “problem” so therefore nothing to fix. I’m so glad that therapists today understand the many facets of our experience – especially when it’s internalised.
I can only speak from my own experience but what I would have benefitted from most is to address the shame, self-stigma, avoidance and feelings around my stuttering. That would have been a huge support, without the pressure to disclose (although that can be a huge step, too).
Thanks for reading, and all the best
Gina
Thanks for introducing Scatman John to the world and the stutter community. Being a covert PWS for years, I wonder is there anything you do to make yourself feel safe not hiding your own stutter?
Hi Meow,
That’s a good question. The best thing I’ve found that helps is disclosure – that way, if I do stutter, it’s not unexpected and the pressure to hide seems to lessen. The first ‘safe space’ I disclosed was to another person who stuttered, and then I started to do that outside of my normal circle. It’s a long process, sometimes, and it’s not always linear – I went back to hiding for years, and now I’m overt again. The best thing you can do is try to gently push yourself out of your comfort zone in a way that feels safe, boundaried and by giving yourself grace, too.
I hope that helps!
Best wishes
Gina
Thank you for sharing your story! I really enjoyed reading about your journey and how you chose to use your platform to bring more awareness to stuttering. As an SLP graduate student, I am interested in understanding self-advocacy. I’m curious about what self-advocacy looks like for you in everyday interactions. When someone responds negatively or seems uncomfortable when you stutter, how do you approach those situations? Do you find yourself explaining what stuttering is or educating them about your experience, or does it look different depending on the person and situation?
Hi, thanks for reading, and for the question!
These days I almost always disclose if I think the interaction will be one where I stutter. Most of the negative responses I’ve ever had to my stuttering have been when I did not disclose, so the listener didn’t know what was going on. Disclosure curbs most negative responses straight away because most people, even if they do not understand stuttering, know not to make negative comments about it if you’ve told them that’s what’s happening.
Discomfort is different, and I think we should accept that some people are uncomfortable with dysfluent speech in general. It’s not on me to assuage their discomfort, but I think by overtly stuttering, I’m at least increasing their exposure to it so if they come across another pws they may be more comfortable next time – or at least I’d like to think so!
All the best
Gina
Hi Gina, thanks for sharing such an inspirational piece and story. I relate a lot to the paradox you mention- it’s not always easy to speak about stuttering when speech is exactly what you’re trying to hide! It takes a lot to overcome those feelings of shame and stutter openly so I have a lot of admiration for how you’ve managed to achieve this. I completely agree that normalisation has got to be the way forward and appreciate the call to action in this regard! Thanks, Finnian
Thank you so much for the kind words Finnian! Yes, it’s a difficult paradox but hoping we people who stutter can lift each other up and give each other the confidence to “represent” out there 🙂
All the best
Gina
You’ve hit the nail right on the head, Gina. The stuttering community is indeed insular and I feel we do need to start taking awareness to a new level.
Thank you Daniele – and you are definitely getting the word out through Franky Banky and of course your epic podcast! so thank YOU too.
All the best
Gina
I really enjoyed reading this article because it showed how stuttering can affect people even when others do not notice it. I thought it was interesting that some people try to hide their stuttering because they are embarrassed or worried about what others might think. As a current grad student, I think it is important to understand how stuttering can affect a person’s confidence and feelings. I also think people should feel accepted and not feel like they have to hide the way they talk. What are some possible ways we can help people who stutter feel more comfortable being themselves in everyday conversations?
Hi Jake
Thanks for reading and for the question. I can only speak for myself but I feel I can be myself in a conversation if I’ve disclosed and that the listener responded neutrally or even positively to that. I don’t feel myself if my conversation partner talks over me or interrupts – good conversation and listening skills are not just for speaking to pws. I hope that helps and good luck in your studies! Gina
Hi Gina!
My name is Erin Perkins, and I am a second-year graduate student studying Speech-Language Pathology. First and foremost, thank you so much for sharing your story and using your voice to encourage and inspire others, including myself. Your words are truly powerful, and your willingness to be vulnerable and share your experiences is something to be admired.
Your story is one that so many people can relate to, and I think it is incredibly meaningful for individuals who stutter to hear experiences that remind them they are not alone. I am currently working with a few clients who stutter, and they have expressed similar feelings of discomfort surrounding their moments of stuttering. Reading your story has reminded me of the importance of helping clients feel understood, supported, and confident in their communication.
I plan to share your story and words of encouragement with my current clients and those I work with in the future. Thank you for making such a meaningful impact and for reminding both individuals who stutter and future clinicians like myself of the power of sharing our stories. Your words will continue to make a difference!
Hi Erin! Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words. It means a lot to know that my story resonated with you. I’m grateful that you’re helping your clients feel supported and understood, and I hope sharing my experience reminds them that they are not alone. Wishing you all the best as you continue your journey in speech-language pathology!
Hi Gina! Thank you so much for sharing your perspective and story. I really enjoyed your message about bringing small scale representation to ordinary life. It all starts with advocacy and exposure. I am a second year SLP student and I try to inform anyone who listens about stuttering. I think educating people on the truths and perspectives of PWS is a great way to expand representation. Thank you!
Hi Grace, thanks very much for reading and sharing your thoughts…. yes, advocacy and exposure should also be discussed by SLPs and their clients, so I’m really glad to have given you some insight. Best of luck with your studies!
Hi Gina, Thank you for sharing about your journey with covert stuttering. I really enjoyed your statement at the end – “A thousand small acts of visibility are how something stops being hidden, and starts becoming more accepted.” I think this is true for so many different things in our society and I truly believe it could be something attainable for stuttering as well!
So spot on, sis. We can talk directly about stuttering, but also indirectly. F ex talk about that trip to Iceland for the Nordic stuttering seminar. (“What? I didn’t know these exist.”) Or tell the customs you’re going to meet friends who stutter. Or leave a leaflet or booklet in a waiting room, on the bus or your toilet, where people have nowhere else to go. 😉 Wear a t-shirt or a funny button with a stuttering quote on. Wear a seegreen ribbon, or show the stuttering awareness flag, and see if people ask what that means. Send material to a school. Use not only Oct 22, but also Dec 3, as that’s the International Day of People With Disabilities. It’s the small steps that create a butterfly effect. 🙂
Sis 😉
Hi Gina,
thank you for sharing your incredible story. Your article is very inspiring and reminds us that all it takes for a change is a small act during everyday activities. The words “Be the voice you want to hear” have really left a lasting impression on me and I understand that sometimes it can be challenging for PWS to talk the way they do or educate someone about stuttering but just sharing a story like you did makes a great progress and encourages a change in mindset both among PWS and people who don’t.
Nika
Thank you so much Nika. Yes, sometimes it’s a challenge… but if we all did a little more representation, I’m sure it’ll have a ripple effect. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts!
Gina, something I’ll take away from your story is how much everyday moments can matter in helping people understand stuttering. Your experience made me think about how much someone might be managing internally without the people around them realizing it. I also appreciated your reminder that it’s okay to not always have the energy to explain or advocate. It made me reflect on my own responsibility as a listener to be patient and open to learning.
Hi – thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts! Absolutely it’s not always clear how someone is managing internally…. and I’m really happy that it’s had an effect on how you think about listening, too. Thank you 🙂
Hi Gina! I loved reading about your experience and the insightful topics you included about acceptance and how it affects one’s experience with stuttering and the societal and personal struggles that come with it. I noticed that acceptance is a big theme among many of the other papers, especially since everyone has their own experience with it. Reading about how much acceptance can influence the way a person views their stuttering, and especially how it can determine how they feel about treatment, what is something an SLP can do to make sure they are taking this into account?
Claire
Hi Claire! Thank you so much for your thoughtful response! I think one of the most important things an SLP can do is create a safe and supportive environment where clients feel comfortable sharing their feelings and experiences with stuttering. Since acceptance looks different for everyone, SLPs should take the time to understand each person’s perspective and goals rather than focusing only on fluency. I think involving clients in treatment decisions and recognizing that acceptance is an ongoing process can make therapy more meaningful and person-centered. Thank you again for your kind words, and good luck with your studies too! 😊