Ashli

What does being tall mean to you?

Scary to guys and intimidation. I go to a school where one being black is “out of the norm” really but then on top of that I have to be black and tall. It all works out great right *sigh* but I’ve learned to just be like whatever about it and I’m doing fine so far.

-Ashli (identifies as: 16 year old girl, black/carribbean, 5’10 or 5’11)

Tall N Curly N A Beautiful Writer

So…most of what exists on the web-webs for tall women is about pants, shoes, and dudes, but there is one writer and artist who writes and arts beautiful. nuanced words and pictures about being tall. She is Tall N Curly, and I recommend going to read and look at everything she’s made at tallncurly.com, because it’s rad. Below is one of her posts, called “I’m Tall–Now What?” I hadn’t read this when I wrote my “about” bit, but dang there are some echoes. She’s 5’11 and 1/2.

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Mulishness and Foolishness

Game of Thrones has problems for sure, but there is something about Brienne of Tarth that kicks me in the feels.

Last night I watched this scene and then had to pause the episode and just cry a little while. (Start at the beginning if you like, or at 2.05 for the tall-girl part, or at 1.04 to also enjoy Podrick being a feminist, which is beautiful)

So… growing up in a culture that tells girls “your worth as a person is directly proportional to how many males desire you,” and also “be small, and cute,” and that tells boys “you are and should be bigger and more powerful than girls in every way”… well, all that together will shape a tall girl, will teach her some things she’ll have to unlearn later, namely: “you are a wrong way.” I mostly think I have unlearned this foolishness, until I see a scene like that and fall apart. I hope that falling-apart is in empathy for my 17 year old self, rather than because I still believe a lot of destructive crap, because nowadays I claim my height and literally laugh in the faces of men I can tell (or who tell me!) fear tall women, but oof. Right in the feels.