People Are Sharing #DisabledAndCute Photos And It's Beautifully Empowering

"I started it because I wanted to continue feeling good about myself," Keah Brown told BuzzFeed News.

A writer with cerebral palsy started the hashtag #DisabledAndCute to make people feel good.

I want to shoutout my Disabled brothers, sisters, & non-binary folks! W/ #DisabledAndCute

Although it took the 25-year-old a while to see anything positive in her own appearance, now she wanted to celebrate it, Brown told BuzzFeed News: “I wanted to share that feeling. I think that it is wonderful to see so many people sharing it.”

And people loved it. Hundreds of people shared great pics of themselves.

#DisabledandCute y'all already know ✨💕😛

I was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia and obsessive compulsive disorder Summer 2016. I am #DisabledAndCute!… https://t.co/IRzqIbOE7A

i have a spinal cord lession at T10 which means i don't move or feel my legs, or can walk but hey!!! im still happy… https://t.co/dhC6fD3eBD

Some expressed how difficult it can be showing they were more than the disability by which people defined them.

"the worst thing about a disability is that people see it before they see you." #DisabledAndCute #CerebralPalsy

#DisabledAndCute Chronic Lyme Disease, Severe Chronic Pain and Limited Mobility can't stop me from looking cute.

Here's my fierce take on #DisabledAndCute

While lots of those with disabilities were visible, others also shared their invisible disabilities.

sickle cell ain't never kept ya girl down #invisiblediseases #disabledandcute

And there were lots of people celebrating Brown for kicking off the hashtag in the first place.

My #disabledandcute friend 😍 #SheisTAKEN! https://t.co/MV5tWWKdwc

Check out the tag #DisabledandCute created by @Keah_Maria, We're out here, we're not a monolith, disability is attractive.

#disabledandcute thank you @Keah_Maria for creating such an explosively simple, yet totally necessary hashtag. <3

Brown added she "never thought" so many people would join in. "You don't go in thinking 'This will be viral!' Or that it's not going to fade away in a few hours let alone a few days," she said. "It's pretty cool."

The use of the word "cute" outside of the disabled community can be problematic, Brown said of the few negative comments she received.

We are often belittled & made to feel small. I just wanted everyone to celebrate themselves. I'm not trying to force anyone to do anything.

"It's a loaded word in the disability community because it can be very belittling when able bodied people call us cute. However, I think there's power in taking back the word for myself."

#DisabledandCute you are all so beautiful but most importantly, you are worthy of this feeling. Hold on to it, keep it for your bad days. <3

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