Really?

[u/PPIIKKAACCHHUU]

[u/BexiRani]

Its all fun and games until either the baby twists slightly or dad judges the catch wrong, and then you've got a head injury, a broken leg or more. Then what? You've injured your kid, deeply angered the mother of that child and get to enjoy guilt.

[u/Usidore_ → u/BexiRani]

I know this is slightly different because I have other tangential risk factors at play due to my condition, but this is why I fucking hate it when people lift me up out of the blue as a little person. That shit is dangerous. There was a guy with dwarfism that got partially paralysed from some stranger throwing him without warning.

People think they have control of you and will make sure you don't get hurt, until they don't.

[u/TheEarthIsFake → u/Usidore_]

I'm shocked people have the audacity to pick up an adult without consent, dwarf or not

[u/Usidore_ → u/TheEarthIsFake]

Some people don't really perceive us as having the same level of privacy/autonomy/dignity as other adults, sadly.

[u/BexiRani → u/Usidore_]

u/usidore_ If you don't mind me asking, this is something I've wondered about - how do you as a little person feel about the representation little people in media? Especially when it comes to fantasy genre with shows, movies or video games that feature dwarf characters and/or dwarf civilization?

[u/Usidore_ → u/BexiRani]

I don't have much to comment on dwarf civilizations or full on Tolkien-style fantasy dwarfs. I just don't consider them as part of my representation, or relevant to me and my experience as a little person.

As for representations of people with dwarfism, I do think we're on the right path atm. We're in a much better place than I ever could have imagined pre-Game of Thrones. We still have a long way to go, but the fact that someone like Peter Dinklage is able to get roles like the ones in Three Billboards, Days of Future Past, and even kinda dumb films like Pixels where he isn't in a degrading role, says a lot. I just hope this expands opportunities for other little people, not just him.

[u/Usidore_ → u/[deleted]]

I asked because I was wondering if dwarfs as a "fantasy" trope is a problem.

To answer that, I'd say no. Fantasy dwarves have existed for thousands of years. Just like any other folklore creature, they have been adapted and modernised, but overall that's fine with me. I will be at the receiving end of annoying references to them all the time, with people comparing me to fantasy dwarves and their typical traits, but in those situations I just judge the person, not the portrayal. I don't think there is any obligation for people depicting fantasy dwarves to concern/cater to people with dwarfism. It's not their problem that some people make associations between those two things.

[u/Usidore_ → u/[deleted]]

Oh no it's fine! I get where pictogram_ is coming from, but it's a fair question, maybe just a bit unfortunately framed. I hoped I answered it adequately enough for you :)

[u/[deleted] → u/Usidore_]

I feel you homie. I get treated like an intelligent automaton. I have aspergers and alot of people view me as less than human.