She took a photo of herself in public and couldn't help but notice how people were checking her out
If there's one thing the world could use more of, it's empathy for people living in larger bodies. There's so much judgment being passed on anyone who isn't skinny that people don't often stop to wonder what it must feel like to experience that every day. And that's what makes this project so great.
The initial idea came to her in Times Square. Haley Morris-Cafiero asked her friend to snap this photo of her. When they were browsing the photos, Haley noticed a guy standing behind her, sneering.
Haley's really comfortable with her body, and seeing a visual representation of the uncomfortable reactions she gets on a daily basis captured in a photograph is what started this project. She decided to do a series of photos documenting herself in public spaces all over the country and people's reactions to her body. The project is called "Wait Watchers." (Pretty clever, huh?)
The point of her project is to turn the gaze back on the viewer and start a conversation about WHY we as a society feel so comfortable being outwardly judgmental and shaming of people moving through the world in larger bodies.
Haley's story is below.