It Happened to Me

Fat shaming. Cyber bullying. You see posts and articles and blogs and videos about this stuff all the time. I did. And my reaction to them was mostly along the lines of "Who would do that?" or "Why would somebody hate enough to bother harassing strangers online?"

Well, this morning I woke up and found out who.

Meet Brighton Whytock: a man who describes himself as "anti-feminist and patriarchal."

"I am a anti feminist, I am very much white and patriarchal."
How lovely.

When I woke up this morning, I had a notification saying he had commented on a post. Assuming it would be positive, I opened up my Twitter and started in. Thus began the following interaction:

My original tweet (from over 4 months ago) was meant to have a positive impact.

" Thin women are not the only ones who deserve to have their bodies spoken of with respect. #FatFeminist #HappyInternationalWomensDay "

But it turned into a platform for an anti-feminist patriarchist to start fat-shaming.

For the record, I am overweight. By a whole 10 pounds. So according to this unqualified man's
diagnosis, I'm going to die before I'm 50 if I don't fix that. Which would take about a month.

In the end, I reported him and I blocked his sorry carcass. I would encourage anybody who is experiencing similar harassment to follow the same simple measures, to block them and report their behavior. This is not acceptable, it is not right, and it is not something you have to put up with. Stick up for yourself in an appropriate way. Social media should be a tool for you to enjoy the thoughts of friends and family, and for you to express yourself without fear of mistreatment.

An Open Letter on Marriage

People Who I STILL see Complaining about Same-Sex Marriage:

Firstly, to those who complain from a political standpoint, I get it. Constitutionally, that decision should have stayed with the states. But it's going to take a lot more political power than the average citizen currently wields in order to change any rulings, so don't work yourself into anger over something that's done.You won't feel any financial effects, and I don't think the world will change drastically (gay marriages have been performed in the US since 2005.) Find peace in living your life the way you feel is best, and focus on the things that enrich your life. Or try VOTING if you dislike our current government practices so much.

Secondly, to the disrespectful, these are human beings you insult and ridicule. You have the constitutional right to free speech, but viciousness and slander are an obvious abuse of that right. Respect is key to the functioning of a peaceful society. We don't have to agree on anything in order to get along.

Thirdly, to traditionalists, Gay people fought SO HARD for the right to marry, in a time when divorce rates are above 50% and fewer couples than ever before elect to marry. Maybe they're even more committed, as a group, to marriage than we are. Maybe you should come to appreciate and respect marriage before you try to make it your own exclusive right.

And finally, on a personal note, I'm straight, moderately conservative, and an LDS Christian, espousing all the beliefs that encompasses. You know what else? I'm a citizen of the world. My concern stems not from a personal vendetta, but because everyone deserves respect. There is so much to the human condition that one's sexuality is almost beneath notice. There's goodness in everyone. Find that, and focus on it, and differences become less important than the similarities we share.