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Lizzie Velasquez, Labeled ‘World’s Ugliest Woman,’ Becomes Motivational Speaker (Video)
Opposing Views ^ | 01/09/2014 | By Doris Quintanilla

Posted on 01/10/2014 7:47:54 AM PST by Responsibility2nd

Being labeled the “World’s Ugliest Woman” has allowed 24-year-old Lizzie Velasquez to reach thousands with her message of redefining what is beautiful.

Velasquez once made headlines after being dubbed the “World’s Ugliest Woman” due to a rare syndrome, one that is so rare that there are only two other known people who suffer from it.

The Texas native suffers from Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome, a condition that causes accelerated aging and fat loss. The illness has prevented the 58-pound woman from gaining weight, despite eating about 60 small meals a day and has caused blindness in her right eye.

When Velasquez was in high school, she discovered an eight second video of herself on YouTube titled “World’s Ugliest Woman.” The video garnered millions of views and comments. Perhaps one of the most hurtful was one who told her to “put a gun to her head and kill herself,” according to IB Times. But this only motivated Velasquez to rise up against cyber bullying.

Years later, she has become an author and motivational speaker. At a TEDX talk in Austin, she shared her experiences with viewers and talked about deciding to turn the negativity into ambition.

“I’ve had a really difficult life, but that’s OK,” she said. “I’m going to let my goals and my success and my accomplishments define me, not my outer appearance.”

With that, Velasquez asks the crowds she talks to, “What defines you?”

“It’s not easy, I will be the first to tell you it’s not easy,” she said in interview with HLN, according to the Christian Post. “I may have this outer exterior of people saying, ‘She can handle everything, she’s dealt with this for so long,’ and to be honest, I’m human and of course these things are going to hurt,” she said.

Velasquez has appeared on multiple television programs and written three books, including, “Be Beautiful, Be You.”


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: beautifulwoman; lizzievelasquez; worldsugliest
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To: Responsibility2nd

I have seen much worse ‘ugly’ on people who think they are beautiful. Those people are so ugly inside that nothing they do on the outside can make them pretty.


21 posted on 01/10/2014 8:09:17 AM PST by MestaMachine (My caps work. You gotta earn them.)
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To: real saxophonist
Wow, shave the pits.

what? that is a shadow...

22 posted on 01/10/2014 8:16:12 AM PST by latina4dubya (when i have money i buy books... if i have anything left, i buy 6-inch heels and a bottle of wine...)
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To: skeeter

Heh, I get it.


23 posted on 01/10/2014 8:19:03 AM PST by LadyBuck (If your name isn't on a list already, you should be ashamed.)
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To: Yaelle
Poor sweetie.

Agreed. She has to bear the burden of an extremely rare condition that may cause premature death. Yet she has found a way to not only deal with it, but use the situation to her advantage - good on her.
24 posted on 01/10/2014 8:21:05 AM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: informavoracious

“Freepers (usually men) mock women they consider to be ugly”

I’m not defending the people of which you speak. However, I don’t know ONE male freeper that would have told this young woman to kill herself or be anything but pleasant/civil to her. Do the boys have fun with “guilty” or “not guilty?” Yes. However, the two situations are far from similar IMHO>


25 posted on 01/10/2014 8:21:16 AM PST by momtothree
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To: informavoracious

You are correct. But oftentimes there is justification when these ugly women could and even should help things by dressing normally, losing weight, foregoing the tats and tramp stamps, stay off the welfare roles and police blotters, etc. etc.

Rachel Jeantel is a perfect example of an ugly woman who deserved scorn and laughter.


26 posted on 01/10/2014 8:22:52 AM PST by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
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To: Responsibility2nd

The funny thing is that she is not even CLOSE to being the ugliest woman I ever saw. In fact, from the description of the condition, I was expecting much worse. She’s actually not that bad. Go down to where the meth freaks hang out and you will see REAL ugly.


27 posted on 01/10/2014 8:25:18 AM PST by fr_freak
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To: momtothree

Are they dissimilar? If this woman’s photo had been posted on FR WITHOUT the accompanying article, would commenters have been so kind? I don’t think so.


28 posted on 01/10/2014 8:28:12 AM PST by informavoracious (Root for Obamacare and healthcare.gov failure!)
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To: Responsibility2nd
She's not the world's ugliest woman. She's just a woman who's had to live with a birth defect.

If you want to see the world's ugliest woman, I'll introduce you to my friend's ex-wife. Superficially cute, but deeply ugly inside.

29 posted on 01/10/2014 8:30:45 AM PST by PapaBear3625 (You don't notice it's a police state until the police come for you.)
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To: informavoracious

You r correct and there is NO excuse for it! And then these same people wonder where the kids get it from?


30 posted on 01/10/2014 8:33:07 AM PST by yellowdoghunter (Welcome to Obamastan! (Mrs. Yellowdoghunter))
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To: MestaMachine

She looks like any of us would look when severely malnourished. We’ve all seen the Auschwitz, or various prison camp pictures. Very similar. Shame she has to carry that cruel label, but kudos to her for standing tall and maximizing its usefulness.


31 posted on 01/10/2014 8:33:55 AM PST by catbertz
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To: informavoracious

“would comments have been so kind”.

I personally like to believe if her photo was posted, most freepers would see that she has an obvious birth defect. Thus, they wouldn’t post she was “guilty”. That being said, I stand by my opinion that NO freeper (male or female) would have posted that “she should kill herself”. I believe if someone did.. the admin moderator would quickly remove such a person.


32 posted on 01/10/2014 8:34:55 AM PST by momtothree
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To: Responsibility2nd

Pretty? No. But Helen Thomas, Bella Abzug, Betty Friedan, and half the Democrats in Congress are uglier by far.


33 posted on 01/10/2014 8:39:42 AM PST by IronJack
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To: Responsibility2nd

Ugly doesn’t apply to people with diseases. It applies to perfectly normal people who, say, decide they would rather weigh 500 pounds than exercise any dietary discipline, or who have three dozen cosmetic surgeries trying to remain 21 years old...or who vote for Communists hoping to get free stuff at their fellow citizens’ expense. :)


34 posted on 01/10/2014 8:40:38 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves (CTRL-GALT-DELETE)
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To: Mr. Jeeves

There is a disease that causes some people to gain weight. It’s uncommon but it happens. Women who have babies that have this disease are berated by the rest of society for letting their babies get fat.


35 posted on 01/10/2014 9:01:53 AM PST by FR_addict
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To: informavoracious

In defense of what I have seen going on here is that the ugly label or guilty label is quite often based on the personal vile behavior of the female. Molesting children, murder, being a psychophant suck up liberal media type will get a lot ugly comments. On the other hand a very attractive women committing the same vile acts will get a ‘not guilty’ tag mostly as a comment to their attractivness. I have not seem arbitrary comments on other fellow humans on what would otherwise be considered an ugly person, male or female.

Yes! it is somewhat of a sexist attitude but no one takes it seriously and is only meant in jest, except for Moochille and Hilbabeast, et al.


36 posted on 01/10/2014 9:06:36 AM PST by dirtymac (Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country)
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To: skeeter; Salamander

Salamander’s gonna have a issue with that... ;-)


37 posted on 01/10/2014 9:17:06 AM PST by Axenolith (Government blows, and that which governs least, blows least...)
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To: Responsibility2nd
Specially designed and loved by the Creator of the Universe; and bearing the marks of His Ownership.

God bless Miss Lizzie! May He continue to add to His grace that she may carry her message of the worth of a human soul to boys and girls, men and women, everywhere.

It's a big job, but what other gift could she have that will make her heard through the background noise of the world system?

Ugly? Not to me. Chosen for a God-given task, yes!

38 posted on 01/10/2014 9:29:19 AM PST by imardmd1 (Fiat Lux)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Aw. Poor woman.


39 posted on 01/10/2014 9:30:51 AM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas ( Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 3:7)
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To: BenLurkin

http://americandigest.org/sidelines/political-pictures-hillary-clinton-circuspants.jpg


40 posted on 01/10/2014 9:39:09 AM PST by V_TWIN
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