Just because you look picture perfect, doesn't mean that you're immune from cyberbullying.
North Carolina beauty pageant queen Isabella Gaines, Miss Greater Port City's Outstanding Teen 2015, found that out the hard way when a stranger tweeted two photos of her side-by-side on June 30 -- one with makeup, and one seemingly without.
The tweet was featured on the "NCOT no makeup" account (NCOT stands for "North Carolina Outstanding Teen" ) which describes itself as "the page where youll (sic) find the prettiest NCOT girls WITH NO MAKEUP! YUCK!"
"I was kind of hurt at first,” said Gaines in an interview with local news station WNCN. But instead of ignoring the tweet or saying something hurtful back, Gaines decided to turn the tweet into an inspiring social media moment.
From there, Gaines told WCNC that her friend, Kenzie Hansley, decided to post her own photo with and without makeup. Hansley ended her message with #NoMakeupSelfie and from there, the movement spread like wildfire. Pretty soon, other pagent queens, celebrities and girls from North Carolina to California were tweeting at Gaines and Hansley with their own selfies.
"I honestly did not expect this type of response. I wanted to help one person, but I am happy it went this big and has an encouraging message," said Gaines in a conversation with The Huffington Post. "I have learned you don't have to take things and you can take a stand for things you believe in and you CAN make a difference."
Amen!
H/T Buzzfeed
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