to people who have insulin pumps, ports, ivs, tubes, ostomies, ostomy bags, prosthetics, indwelling catheters, urostomies, urostomy bags, other types of stomas, facial differences, limb differences, different ways of moving, nerve damage, muscle weakness, paralysis, scars, skin conditions, conditions that affect height, weight, or muscle tone, cysts, tumors, lumps, tremors, hearing aids, strabismus, lazy eyes, or other medical devices, conditions, and aids because i know there's many more than i know about
to people who have gotten stared at, bullied, made fun of, avoided, abused, or insulted because of the way they look, and especially to people who have been accused of faking or exaggerating despite having what's considered a visible disability
i love you and you deserve to be here and you deserve to be loud, vain, and proud this month. you deserve to be loved, cared about, respected, supported, listened to, and cared for when you need it. you deserve to feel good about yourself and your body and you deserve to be represented well in good media. you deserve good friends and good partners. you deserve respectful, supportive, caring doctors who know about your condition and will fight for you. you deserve clothes that were made to fit your body and are something you like and want to wear. you deserve a society and community that not only accommodates you but loves and cares about you. i'm glad you exist