Breaking the stigma

At the start of the COVID pandemic, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. What was supposed to be an exciting start to a new season of life in college soon became a nightmare that no one knew about. I lay in bed, most days with excruciating pain, chronic fatigue, and slowly losing weight from my body slowly shutting down. I hid in my room as I told myself no one could know - no one could know about who I had become. I succumbed to the lies and doubts as I slowly suffocated in my sheets. I had persuaded myself somehow that I had failed.

There are many autoimmune diseases, many of which are chronic, meaning the disease will stay with you for life, and there is no cure. I was specifically diagnosed with ulcerative colitis which is characterized by long term inflammation of the colon. More specifically, my immune system thinks that the colon, for whatever reason, is an enemy, so it will attack and try to kill my colon. And if you know anything about the human body, if one thing fails, the rest tends to follow. The thing about a lot of autoimmune diseases is that it's an invisible disease; it’s not something that’s obvious to the naked eye, like a broken foot or hand. I’ve had people say, well you look

okay, so you can’t feel that bad, right? Or, you’re so tiny, you need to eat more! Just because something isn’t visible to you right away doesn’t mean that it's not there; just because you’re not experiencing it does not mean it’s no big deal.

Since the inclusivity movement in fashion, we have seen a plethora of beautiful, strong faces taking the runway by storm. A rainbow of skin colors, body types, and poses has been a strong step forward in showing the true diversity of the world. More recently, embracing physical differences in terms of chronic conditions and visibly uncommon bodies has become a way to show off a company's products in ways that signify how each and every consumer, regardless of physical appearance, can show up and show out in anything they want to wear and represent.

A great example of this new era of inclusivity is Zebedee Talent. The Founders, Laura Winson and Zoe Proctor explain, “Disability is often left out of the diversity debate; we often receive briefs looking for ‘diversity’, but with no mention of disability, alternative appearances, or trans/non-binary – and we want to change this. We want it to be the norm that REAL diverse media becomes commonplace.” Breaking the stigma that disabilities often devalue a human and their physical appeal creates vastly more opportunities for individuals who have any type of disability. Bodies with different appearances and disabilities does not lessen their desirability but

rather twists traditional stereotypes of what is beautiful to show how fashion and beyond is genuinely for everyone, not just women with long legs.

Inside Zebedee Talent is Sara Levitt, a Chron’s survivor known as the “Bag Bish.” Levitt received an ileostomy in her 20’s due to the severity of her condition that she had been fighting since she was three years old. Now, she has a permanent medical device called an ostomy bag; the bag is attached to her small intestine through an opening on the lower part of her abdomen where her bag is visible, hence the nickname “Bag Bish.”. She explains, “The negative stigma around ostomies often revolves around the fact that it deals with bodily waste, a topic that has traditionally not been in everyday conversations.” Overall, Levitt has broken down barriers when

it comes to prejudice regarding individuals with IBD or any autoimmune disease. She has modeled for multiple swimming and lingerie companies as her ostomy bag confidently shows itself in all the photos. Making this bold move to show a medical device that is normally associated with uncleanliness debunks any of these assumptions as she fearlessly leans into her individuality by showing a vulnerable part of herself in intimate pieces of clothing. Overall, Levitt shows that people with disabilities can still be beautiful; people with disabilities can still be desirable in the fashion world.

It’s been around four years since my diagnosis. I’m still learning this new world and how to navigate it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since then, it's that we can all make a better effort to be inclusive regardless of physical appearance or able-ness inside and outside of the fashion world. Including different types of bodies ultimately shows the real, raw faces of humanity. Wouldn’t we want to buy clothing and products that advertise real life as opposed to a face that is millions of miles away from reaching the reality of the human condition? Models don’t need to be promoted, people do.

Strike Out,

Katherine Stegall-Williams

Katherine Stegall-Williams is a Writer for Strike Magazine Chattanooga. You can find her on Instagram at @katherine.mae.williams