I played Auntie Em and Glinda, Aunt March, the Red Queen, older roles. I wanted to be Dorothy. "You don't have the right look," the director said, casting a tiny thin girl.

I still struggle to think I could be conceived of as beautiful or wanted by others because of my size. https://twitter.com/TheLizWasser/status/1297259719988596736

Turns out I had more to say about this, so THREAD.

I'm long out of high school, but to this day, one of my first thoughts when rejected is "this is because I'm too fat to love" and "if I lost weight or made myself smaller maybe someone will think I'm pretty"

Boss treating me with disrespect? "He'd respect me if I were thin."

Didn't get a job after a Zoom interview? "They finally saw what I looked like."

A friend ghosts me? "It wasn't going to last anyway because nobody could want you around. You take up too much space."

I have a PhD in biology and understand how genetics work. I regularly ride 10+ miles/day on a spin bike. I've been in therapy for years and have talked about this. I look at myself in the mirror most days and think I'm curvy AND cute.

But all it takes is that little push.

At my very leanest, when I was in high school and swimming competitively 6 days a week with the metabolism of youth, I was 160 and 5'4". Lots of lean muscle, and my BMI was STILL overweight. I'm never going to be a single-digit size.

I am STILL worthy of respect and love.

So yeah. This rejection follows folks around for their whole lives. If you're part of someone's upbringing, remember this and maybe don't pigeonhole them into your idea of societal roles.

Signed, Fat and Gorgeous, Thanks For Noticing.