# Lizzie Velasquez is a beautiful woman **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lizzie-velasquez-is-a-beautiful-woman/689091 "2014-05-23T15:22:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lizzie-velasquez-is-a-beautiful-woman/689091/1 "2014-05-23T15:22:04Z")
This seems neither mundane nor pointless, but I don’t think my OP will rise to the level of witnessing and this seemed a better fit for this thread than Cafe Society, so here we go: Lizzie Velasquez is a beautiful woman. I just read [this AP story about her](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/woman-seeks-anti-bullying-film-about-her-plight); somehow I missed [her TEDx talk last summer](http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/How-do-you-define-yourself-Lizz;search%3Atag%3A%22tedxaustinwomen%22) (and the ensuing hubbub). Miss Velasquez suffers from a rare syndrome, so rare that only 3 people in the world are known to have it. This syndrome makes it impossible for Miss Velasquez to gain weight. She is now 25 years old and has never weighed more than about 68 pounds, according to the AP story. She is also blind in one eye. Seven or eight years ago, when she was 17, she saw a video on youtube called “The world’s ugliest woman”; Miss Velasquez was the subject of the video. > [@](#): > > The video’s comments section featured comments such as, “Do the world a favor and put a gun to your head.” > > “Instead of just taking shelter of my tears, I chose to be happy and realize this syndrome is not a problem but a blessing that allows me to improve myself and inspire other people,” said Velasquez. And so she has written 3 self-help books, made appearances on major TV programs, and gave her acclaimed TEDx talk last summer. She has tens of thousands of followers on Facebook and Twitter. And now she wants to make a movie to tell her story and hopefully help others, in particular help people who are being bullied. After reading her story and watching her TEDx talk, I simply had to acknowledge the beauty and grace of this young woman. She is smart and funny and personable. Her laugh is wonderfully infectious. And she has a will and a heart that must have gained all the weight her body cannot. Lizzie Velasquez, you are a truly, deeply beautiful woman and I hope to watch you continue to prove the naysayers wrong for many years to come. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lizzie-velasquez-is-a-beautiful-woman/689091/2 "2014-05-23T18:04:33Z")
She seems cool. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lizzie-velasquez-is-a-beautiful-woman/689091/3 "2014-05-23T19:46:56Z")
\*\*Abraham Lincoln: \*\*This woman is Nancy Pinkerton. As a child, she was consistently voted the most beautiful girl in her entire school. Her life as a youth was filled with praises, and everything being handed to her. Boys told her she was special, she was funny, she was interesting. But \*that’s only because she was hot. \*It wasn’t until she reached age 40, when her looks started to fade, that she learned she was actually about as interesting and special as a wet carrot. _Takes Kyle to next house_ \*\*Abraham Lincoln: \*\*This is the home of your new ugly friend, Jamal. Because he’s ugly, he gets nothing handed to him. He has to work at making something of himself. But that work is going to pay off when he’s an adult. He will have _character_–something kids who are hot rarely develop. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lizzie-velasquez-is-a-beautiful-woman/689091/4 "2014-05-24T11:50:39Z")
Truly. Thanks for sharing that. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lizzie-velasquez-is-a-beautiful-woman/689091/5 "2014-05-24T20:17:08Z")
I gave to her Kickstarter. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!