I am heavily tattooed... I am judged.
I have piercings... I am judged.
I am a single mother... I am judged.
I am overweight... I am judged.
I have a mental illness... I am judged.
I have piercings... I am judged.
I am a single mother... I am judged.
I am overweight... I am judged.
I have a mental illness... I am judged.
Every single day so many of us are treated like we have no business being in this world simply because of all the things that make us who we are. Things that are not particularly bad but are considered taboo. Because some people either don't like certain things (tattoos, piercings, weight etc) or they haven't educated themselves and so follow the lead of others.
I have just begun to write for a newly launched magazine called, Taboo Magazine (www.taboomaga.com) and I have decided to collect the stories of people who really are simply everyday people (not celebrities, not criminals) yet are treated so poorly because they aren't considered to be amongst the "stereotype" or normality... Whatever normal actually is.
I put a call out on a facebook group (just the one) and I have been absolutely inundated by stories from people who are scorned. The things that people are judged for are ridiculous; there's a woman who was wheelchair bound after giving birth and the woman who's son was born with something called Poland Syndrome. He was given pretty much zero life expectancy (spoiler alert... he's just turned 18). A woman who finally accepted her sexuality at a later age and is now shunned in her small community because being a lesbian is not ok (yet their bullying/harrassing behaviour of her is perfectly acceptable). A plethora of single mums who are excluded by a world of "normal" mums - you know the ones? The heterosexual, long-time married, completely untainted by any form of physical or mental illness whose little darlings are perfectly perfect.
Now, I was incredibly close to titling the series Everyday Women but then how could I do that when one of my beautiful, generous, storytelling beings is gender fluid? That's right, there are so many interesting, intelligent, amazing people in this world who are looked over because they just don't fit in that circle of normal. I'm so incredibly excited to be sharing all of these people with you and just maybe when you read about them, you might alter the way you look at people too.
I have just begun to write for a newly launched magazine called, Taboo Magazine (www.taboomaga.com) and I have decided to collect the stories of people who really are simply everyday people (not celebrities, not criminals) yet are treated so poorly because they aren't considered to be amongst the "stereotype" or normality... Whatever normal actually is.
I put a call out on a facebook group (just the one) and I have been absolutely inundated by stories from people who are scorned. The things that people are judged for are ridiculous; there's a woman who was wheelchair bound after giving birth and the woman who's son was born with something called Poland Syndrome. He was given pretty much zero life expectancy (spoiler alert... he's just turned 18). A woman who finally accepted her sexuality at a later age and is now shunned in her small community because being a lesbian is not ok (yet their bullying/harrassing behaviour of her is perfectly acceptable). A plethora of single mums who are excluded by a world of "normal" mums - you know the ones? The heterosexual, long-time married, completely untainted by any form of physical or mental illness whose little darlings are perfectly perfect.
Now, I was incredibly close to titling the series Everyday Women but then how could I do that when one of my beautiful, generous, storytelling beings is gender fluid? That's right, there are so many interesting, intelligent, amazing people in this world who are looked over because they just don't fit in that circle of normal. I'm so incredibly excited to be sharing all of these people with you and just maybe when you read about them, you might alter the way you look at people too.