Did you know that the women who play Disney princesses in real life, in Disneyland or Disney-world can’t be larger than a size 10? What do you think that tells the average woman who is a size 16? (PS that’s actually @amyeloisew ‘s size, although I’d never call her just an “average” woman). So for all of those sayings, it’s just a movie. No it’s not. This size discrimination is everywhere!
I remember the first time I was likened to a Disney princess. It was yelled at me in a club at university when a guy went “Oi Mulan, give us a snog?”. Apparently, I was Mulan. Of course, I was. Mulan would become a running theme in my uni days. If it wasn’t that, I was likened to Lucy Liu from Charlie’s Angels.
I don’t look anything like Lucy Liu but that’s what happens there’s such a lack of racial diversity. You get likened to the only other Asian person that they have seen. Same with Mulan, every time we played princesses, I was automatically given Mulan.
When I started my career, nothing changed. I started training other coaches, as soon as I was qualified. I was the youngest in the room at 21, with most of my students being double my age. It meant when they put their hand up and I went over to help, they would often ask for someone else or double check my advice with one of my superiors. That, I could put up with. But my tipping point was when one called me Pocahontas for the duration of the 2 week course. I told my supervisors that it made me uncomfortable. They told me to take it as a compliment and he was just flirting.
Every time I’ve been referred to as a princess it’s felt like it’s being in a derogatory way, whether it’s flirting in a professional setting or using it as an almost racial slur in a club. It begs the question why the comparison was never made in a positive light? #ScarredNotScared