by Sistersinheight.com

Lets Be Real: It is not easy being a tall female and the people around us can be harsh

Strangers tend to think we are a freak of nature, especially when we have no interest in sports.

If you live in a big city this may be even more true because you come across a lot more people.

Men are inclined to say “we are the same height laying down, babe” whereas, shorter women will beg for a few inches of height.

We are not laying down all day and have no intentions of cutting any parts of our body. Not to mention, our height is a gift!

In knowing that our height was not something we purchased from a dealer to stand out among the crowd, why give us a hard time?

“We did not choose to be tall and God makes no mistakes”

What is height shaming?

Height shaming is the unjust mistreatment of tall people which may manifest as acts of singling out, disrespecting and/or making fun of a person in a longer/larger body. Height shaming is real and it happens in the most subtle ways at times. This is why it is important during conversations with people to think before speaking/acting. Height shaming persists because we as a society aren’t doing enough to call it out and stand in solidarity against it. Our culture isn’t accepting the variety of body types and are only following what the media/Hollywood deems as the right body size. Height shaming is ignorant and can possibly manifest into hate.  Below are three reasons height shaming is not cool.

Reason #1 Height shaming (physical appearance) offers no insight to a person’s character

I have come across some amazing tall females across the world. It is likely you are missing out on some great possible friendships, due to not taking a moment to see beyond height. So, take a moment to notice other things you may have in come with us before going down the rabbit hole about height to include the heights of our parents, kids, cousins, great-great grandfather, etc.

Reason #2 Height shaming may lead to low self-esteem

For females in general, there are enough social norms to keep up with and worrying about our height does not need to be another.  Height shaming can lead to a lack confidence and a bad feeling of self. Height is not a flaw and while everyone’s self-esteem is vulnerable to other people, you can make a conscious effort to use good judgement in interacting with us, tall females.

Reason #3 Height shaming is a form of bullying

Bullying continues to be a hot topic because some people just do not get it. You know what it means and if not take a moment to do a google search. The term bully is mostly seen in association with adolescence; however, it can be extended to adults. Bullying can cause some serious psychological conditions, such as depression, suicidal thoughts, bad temper, and loneliness which sometimes cannot be seen right away. People can “snap” because of bullying so take it serious.

Are you a height shaming bully? Consider this:

• Do I make jokes about tall people that I see in public or in the media
• Do I tease friends/family about their height in attempts to be funny
• Do I allow those around me to make jokes about tall people
• Do I make assumptions about tall people

This is just some food for thought and hopefully some information to ignite conversation about the things you are directly and indirectly doing to us, tall females.

When we know better it is only best to do better!

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