On My Userpics

[sihaya09]

Ever wonder why my default pic is almost always a picture of me? I wrote up an entry on Tumblr about it. But, since Tumblr has its limits as a blogging platform (namely tags & reply functionality), I'll repost here!Over the years, I’ve had a lot of people misunderstand the reason I use my own face as my main avatar across social media platforms.

Comments

[naamah_darling]

I respect the hell out of this.

Because of the dysmorphia, I don't use my face, but my real name isn't hard to find, and I don't hide who I am -- I am this name on multiple sites, so I'm easy to find. I do it for much the same reasons, and also because I hope that my example will encourage others to own their truths and speak them, and will help people see that people like me are real, we exist, we have names, lives, pets we love, we are fully human.

Also, in a world that wants to silence us and make us ashamed of how we look and feel guilty about showing our faces just for the pleasure of expression, showing your face and using your real name and speaking up is a powerful, important act.

So yeah, like I said, I respect this so much.

[sihaya09]

Yeah, I know at least one other person who doesn't use her picture because she just plain hates having photos taken of her, and that's totally valid. But she uses her name for everything.

But you bring up something-- for the pleasure of expression. It kinda is radical, a bit. I mean, we live in a culture that's telling women that there's always something about our bodies we need to fix (and boy howdy, I struggle with that programming), and where women who take pride in their appearances considered to be 'asking for it' ("it" being anything from derision and claims of vanity to worse). So in a way, putting images of yourself out there and saying, "you know what? Fuckitall, I like myself, I looked great today" can be kind of a statement.

Which I fucking hate, but that's the way it is. That's the way the world is.

And if it's a little vain? So fucking what.

[kazoogrrl]

I only minimally obscure who I am online, mostly because we've posted event details that are at my home so I try to keep a little space between that and my identity, though I know anyone who really wants to figure that out can find it. Otherwise I tend to believe in hiding in plain site: put crap out there and no one can hold anything against you.

[wilhelmina_d]

That's a very cool logic. I hadn't thought of it that way, but that's something to definitely think about.

[kita0610]

And that's one of the reasons I have always respected the hell out of you.

[reedrover]

I respect and admire your personal standards for truthful expression. And now that I think about it, I think having your face next to your posts keeps your words more real. I'm not reading some fictional thought process in a book removed from my reality, but the words and thoughts of a real person who I know.