A Letter to Dancing Man

I hope you realize how impactful this dance party was. I'm pretty sure you do. You're not just DancingMan, you're Sean, and I'm sure, like me,you've lived through many, many times you've been bullied because of your weight. I'm sorry.
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Dear Sean,

You don't know me, but I feel like we're sort of friends. I know a lot more about you than you do about me. I've read your story. I even wrote about your story. I've seen the photos. I watched you dance with Megan Trainor on Today, then followed along closely on Twitter while you geared up for a fantastic party. I wished I were there. Even though I wasn't able to be there, I danced along.

I have to be honest with you, Sean. I'm not always comfortable dancing. After years of being beat down, it is still really hard for me to get up and dance in front of others. I still feel judged. I know I am judged. But I screw up the courage and do it. The night of your party, I danced ALL NIGHT LONG and borrowed my strength from you. I was invited to the party. Even thought I wasn't able to go, I was with you in spirit. I was at an Ed Sheeran concert and I danced, thinking of you and what amazing things were happening. My whole family was dancing with you. Each of us know what it's like to want to JUST DANCE, but being ridiculed for it.

I hope you realize how impactful this dance party was. I'm pretty sure you do. You're not just DancingMan, you're Sean, and I'm sure, like me,you've lived through many, many times you've been bullied because of your weight. I'm sorry. I'm sorry it happened, but I am SO thankful to you that you answered the Twitter call, and decided to put yourself out there. I know from experience the pull to hide, to not acknowledge the pain, or to laugh it off as if it doesn't bother you even as it burns a hole into your soul. Thank you, for standing up for yourself, and ALL of us.

I really hope that Hope, Cassandra, Elyse and all the amazing ladies who decided to stand up for you and up TO those who fat-shamed you realize that they didn't just stand up for YOU, but for SO MANY other. Man, they know how to #BeBrave, for sure. The fact that they started the Dance Free Movement is incredible.

This was about you, but it was also about every single person who has been made to feel unworthy. It was for every person who isn't a size 2 or 6 or even a 16 that is told to sit down, back down, fade into the background simply because their body isn't what some one else deems attractive. It was for every person who felt like they weren't allowed to dance as if it were a right reserved only for the thinner people. Dancing is a right for everyone.

I loved seeing the photos of the party. I loved seeing you smile, the dance floor FILLED with people of all colors sizes, genders, style and become just a group of people CELEBRATING EACH OTHER. That's what a dance party should be about!

You are completely right when you say:
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I wish this world would become a place where people are judge by who they are, not how they look. If we can do that, I'm am sure we can help end bullying. I think that the #DanceFree movement can catch on, If we all decided to #BeBrave and stand up for ALL of us and reclaim our right to dance, we can make it happen.

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