A cruel Facebook meme has been doing the rounds lately that sees users sharing photographs of perceived physically unattractive people alongside captions insinuating the recipient would have sex with them. Yes, it’s painfully dumb, and yes, it has therefore become one of the most viral memes of the entire year, rounding off what has been a particularly gruesome year with even more unnecessary nastiness because apparently we haven’t already seen enough of it in 2016. Now one of the women whose image was shared in the meme has spoken out against it, encouraging Facebook users to think before they post and consider the human behind the photo.
Anti-bullying activist Lizzie Velasquez has a rare congenital disease that prevents her from gaining weight, with her also having being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, which affects the skeletal, cardiovascular, and ocular systems and leads to abnormal connective tissue in the body. Lizzie is essentially a major badass who has powered through the bullying she has faced without her life in order to become a motivational speaker, writing books and giving TED speeches detailing her experiences and trying to help others overcome their own issues in their lives. She was even the subject of an award-winning documentary, titled A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story.
The meme that has been widely shared around Facebook featuring a photo of Lizzie Velasquez.
Now Lizzie has taken to Instagram in order to speak out against the meme, reminding those who have witnessed them circulating on Facebook to keep in mind that “we are all human.” She wrote:
“I’m writing this post not as someone who is a victim but as someone who is using their voice. Yes, it’s very late at night as I type this but I do so as a reminder that the innocent people that are being put in these memes are probably up just as late scrolling through Facebook and feeling something that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. No matter what we look like or what size we are, at the end of the day 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.”
Lizzie later posted a video thanking her followers for their support, saying that she wanted to use her platform to remind people that “when you see a photo online, remember that there is a human behind it.”
