Rep. Ayanna Pressley comes out about her hair

[lpetrich]

Representative Ayanna Pressley (Boston, MA) had come out about a medical condition that she suffers:  Alopecia areata or just plain alopecia. It's losing part or all one's hair.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley Reveals Baldness And Alopecia For The First Time - The Root
The Root on Twitter: ""My twists have become such a synonymous & a conflated part of not only my personal identity & how I show up in the world, but my political brand. And that's why I think it's important that I'm transparent about this new normal & living with alopecia." — @AyannaPressley https://t.co/jqraqZeiKr" / Twitter
Her hair gradually fell out over last fall, and it was complete by the time of the House impeachment vote. She now wears wigs, like a Michelle Obama one. She said that a lot of women and girls have looked up at her as a professionally successful and prominent black woman who successfully wore her hair in braids, instead of trying to straighten it. But even if it's a wig, AP was still successful in wearing braided hair.

Ayanna Pressley Opens Up About Living With Alopecia and Hair Loss - The New York Times

Ayanna Pressley on Twitter: "As a Black woman, the personal is political. My hair story is no exception. Sharing a very personal story today to create space for others: https://t.co/1sh11Q1Qp2" / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Could you imagine losing all your hair on the eve of an enormously public day? And then turning that intensely intimate ordeal to make space for others?
Ayanna, you are a living blessing.
Everyone, please take a moment out of your day to watch @AyannaPressley’s #BlackHairStory. https://t.co/0G9NCaPmuG" / Twitter

Joy Reid on Twitter: ".@AyannaPressley was already an incredible inspiration and among the most brilliant, fierce and dynamic members of really the most impressive freshman congressional class since 1992. But this? Beautiful beyond words. Kudos to the Rep and @TheRoot https://t.co/KWnXx12TVx" / Twitter

Ayanna Pressley on Instagram: “As a Black woman, the personal is political. My hair story is no exception. Sharing a very personal story today to create space for others: @the.root”
Ayanna Pressley on Instagram: “However you show up in the world, you are beautiful & you are enough ”

 

[lpetrich]

Ayanna Pressley on Twitter: "Happy Sunday! #baldsquad #baldbaddies #baldisbeautiful Thank you for the warm welcome #alopecia nation #hairlosscrew. New year. New decade. New truths. New swag. #theyaintreadyforthissmoke https://t.co/M3ggSNrV9B" / Twitter - picture of AP wearing a hat and without a wig

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Ayanna leads the fight for justice and does it all walking backwards, in heels, with a matching lip AND makes space for others rocking a hat better than anyone you know.
A queen. https://t.co/1um7UIXPdD" / Twitter

Ayanna Pressley's 'squad' of congresswomen offers support after she opens up about alopecia | TheHill

Some more friends:

Ilhan Omar on Twitter: "You are stunningly gorgeous and a magnificent black queen.
I know women and young girls around the world will wear their crowns more proudly today because of you.
Your courage is inspiring and I am so proud to be your sister in service! https://t.co/zmGBxYuK5r" / Twitter

Rashida Tlaib on Twitter: "Queen.
Your courage in sharing your story is what makes you so incredibly special @AyannaPressley.
I love you sis. https://t.co/0OtFXsrXlK" / Twitter

Valerie Jarrett on Twitter: "With or without hair, @AyannaPressley is stunningly beautiful inside and out. I hope her courage to tell her story helps other women know they are not alone. https://t.co/2mQ7CRKnwJ" / Twitter

Joe Kennedy III on Twitter: "This is beautiful and brave. Thank you @AyannaPressley for always using your power to make the road kinder and fairer for those that follow your footsteps. https://t.co/YdERJsPP7b" / Twitter

Lauren Underwood on Twitter: "@AyannaPressley You are beautiful inside and out! " / Twitter

brittany packnett cunningham on Twitter: "Watch all 7 and a half minutes of this. It is so powerful, so meaningful, and creates space for so much.
@AyannaPressley, you remain a champion for us and are such a queen, my friend. Absolutely beautiful. I’m a bucket of tears. Thank you for showing us how to be ourselves! https://t.co/zQCvOoOLce" / Twitter

 

[Angry Floof]

I love this, and I think it's so great that women and girls see their powerful role models being real and accepting and loving things that our popular social attitudes and taboos would have us hate about ourselves.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I love this, and I think it's so great that women and girls see their powerful role models being real and accepting and loving things that our popular social attitudes and taboos would have us hate about ourselves.

#francesmcdormand

 

[lpetrich]

Keith Boykin on Twitter: "“Black girls are pushed out of the classroom for how they wear their hair. I have colleagues who have been pressured...not to allow their hair to go gray, colleagues who have been told that they should straighten their hair..Hair is political.”
- @AyannaPressley on #AMJoy https://t.co/RWgA0R3Gyp" / Twitter
Joy-Ann Reid interviewing Ayanna Pressley - AP's head was uncovered, revealing her complete baldness.

with this response
Gustavo Rivera on Twitter: "Gotdang it, she’s awesome. https://t.co/rgeuWHtDx4" / Twitter

 

[Derec]

Ayanna Pressley on Twitter: "As a Black woman, the personal is political. My hair story is no exception. Sharing a very personal story today to create space for others: https://t.co/1sh11Q1Qp2" / Twitter

Politicizing the personal is one of the worst ideas to come out of the 1960s radicalism.

I mean what's political about this ex-squad member going bald anyway?

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Could you imagine losing all your hair

Yes, I can imagine it. I have lived it. I have, however, not tried to make some sort of bizarre political hay out of it.

Ayanna, you are a living blessing.

What? Like she's the first person in the world to lose hair!
And it could well be that in her case (unlike in mine) it was not even inevitable. It might have been caused by overuse of chemical straighteners for example.

 

[Toni]

Politicizing the personal is one of the worst ideas to come out of the 1960s radicalism.

I mean what's political about this ex-squad member going bald anyway?



Yes, I can imagine it. I have lived it. I have, however, not tried to make some sort of bizarre political hay out of it.

Ayanna, you are a living blessing.

What? Like she's the first person in the world to lose hair!
And it could well be that in her case (unlike in mine) it was not even inevitable. It might have been caused by overuse of chemical straighteners for example.

And you wonder why people think of you as racist or sexist.

What is especially fun about your post in this thread is that it makes a nice counter point to all of your posts where you complain that you can't get dates (not that you try anymore-we totally get that!) because of your baldness.

 

[Derec]

And you wonder why people think of you as racist or sexist.

How is anything I wrote "sexist" or "racist". I do not think a person losing their hair makes them special. Regardless of race and gender. Furthermore, making a bizarre political point out of your hair loss doesn't make you "a living blessing".

What is especially fun about your post in this thread is that it makes a nice counter point to all of your posts where you complain that you can't get dates (not that you try anymore-we totally get that!) because of your baldness.

Well that is one big reason. Women really like men with good hair!

 

[Toni]

And you wonder why people think of you as racist or sexist.

How is anything I wrote "sexist" or "racist". I do not think a person losing their hair makes them special. Regardless of race and gender. Furthermore, making a bizarre political point out of your hair loss doesn't make you "a living blessing".

I'm not sure you grasp at all the significance of Pressley revealing her alopecia. Hint: It's not political in the Democrat/Republican sense of the word.

What is especially fun about your post in this thread is that it makes a nice counter point to all of your posts where you complain that you can't get dates (not that you try anymore-we totally get that!) because of your baldness.

Well that is one big reason. Women really like men with good hair!

SOME women really like men with good hair. Or a good head of hair. Plenty of balding and bald men do really well with the ladies. In fact, it was a trend for a long time for men to shave their heads.

What women really like is men who are mature/grow up and not big children, who are stable emotionally and if you're thinking long term: financially/employment wise, who are funny and smart (sliding scale there) and kind and interesting and who actually care about them as people.

I'm pretty sure you don't actually realize that the term 'good hair' has a cultural and political significance.