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THERE ARE HUNDREDS of thousands of pictures and memes shared on Facebook every day, a lot of them calling upon you to ‘tag a friend’ for a laugh. This woman is asking us to be a bit more mindful of the people behind these memes.
AP / Press Association Images
AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
Lizzie Velasquez was born with a rare congenital disease that prevents her from accumulating body fat, and is blind in her right eye.
Ten years ago, when Velasquez was 17, a YouTube video cruelly branded her the ‘world’s ugliest woman’ – since then, she has spoken out against bullying, even delivering a TED talk on the subject (which is a great listen).
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On Sunday, she saw that someone had made a crude meme using a picture of her and posted it on Facebook:
In a post responding to the image, she wrote that it’s important to understand that the people behind these kinds of memes are human too.
I’ve seen a ton of memes like this all over Facebook recently. I’m writing this post not as someone who is a victim but as someone who is using their voice… No matter what we look like or what size we are, we are all human.
I ask that you keep that in mind the next time you see a viral meme of a random stranger. At the time you might find it hilarious, but the human in the photo is probably feeling the exact opposite. Spread love not hurtful words via a screen.
AP / Press Association Images
AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
Velasquez’s post has been shared over 87,000 times, leading to the meme being removed – she’s been praised for highlighting the issue:
I’m not innocent in these memes, but I will no longer participate in these memes. I got angry when I saw you on this.
I’m sorry this happened to you, but thank you for speaking out and informing people that this is cyber bullying. Please continue to smile because your motivating words inspire more people than you know.
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Thursday 26 December, 2024
Thursday 26 December, 2024
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This woman has spoken out after discovering her photo was used for a mean meme
THERE ARE HUNDREDS of thousands of pictures and memes shared on Facebook every day, a lot of them calling upon you to ‘tag a friend’ for a laugh. This woman is asking us to be a bit more mindful of the people behind these memes.
Lizzie Velasquez was born with a rare congenital disease that prevents her from accumulating body fat, and is blind in her right eye.
Ten years ago, when Velasquez was 17, a YouTube video cruelly branded her the ‘world’s ugliest woman’ – since then, she has spoken out against bullying, even delivering a TED talk on the subject (which is a great listen).
On Sunday, she saw that someone had made a crude meme using a picture of her and posted it on Facebook:
In a post responding to the image, she wrote that it’s important to understand that the people behind these kinds of memes are human too.
Velasquez’s post has been shared over 87,000 times, leading to the meme being removed – she’s been praised for highlighting the issue:
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all human Bullying lizzie velasquez Meme win of the day win/fail