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BLLet’s get Smarter in Seconds about facial differences with @burnedbeauty2018, @isarhiannon, and @carlyfindlay!
The term “facial differences” can be applied to anyone whose appearance from the neck up deviates from socially expected norms.
Facial differences are more common than you might realize and can be from any cause whether at birth or throughout life due to injury, illness, aging, environmental factors, or medical conditions.
Over the past few decades the term facial differences has emerged as the more common, neutral, and respectful term instead of outdated and dehumanizing language that described us as “deformed,” or “disfigured.”
Unfortunately there are multiple forms of discrimination based on faces. Under the umbrella of lookism, which is discrimination based on general appearance, there is discrimination based on facial differences, which has to do with ableism and featurism, the social marginalization and systemic oppression of people based on facial features that has to do with racial and ethnic discrimination.
People with facial differences are people just like anyone else, and if you thought otherwise that might be due to ableism.
While some may tell you to see the person, not the facial difference, remember that you can do both. Confront your biases and your ableism, and don’t participate in dehumanizing behavior.
@blairimani
