Gorgeous gal-about-town Selene Luna has written an insightful, often laugh-out-loud, guide for interacting with little people for the blog xojane. It’s a must-read for everyone.

1. Do Not Refer To Little People As “Midgets.” – There is a lot of confusion around this word, so let me break it down for you.  There is nothing wrong with the actual word, midget; it’s just a word to describe something that is very small, for example, Midget Carrots, Midget Car Racing, my ex-boyfriend is an emotional midget.  The word midget becomes offensive when it’s used to objectify a person of short stature, as in Midget Tossing, Midget Porn, Midget Rentals, where you can literally rent little people for parties and events.

Some little people don’t mind being called midget, but I do. I’ve never heard the word ‘midget’ used in a positive manner; it always seems attached to some form of hostility. When was the last time you heard someone paying a compliment using the word midget? “Little person” is the universal dignified term for anyone of short stature, 4’10” and under.

2. Do Not Make A Little Person Feel Like They’re On Display For Your Amusement. Trust me; I’ve caught my own reflection on a storefront window and thought, “What the fuck?” There aren’t a lot of little people in the world so it’s reasonable to be touched by the magic of a sighting. It freaks me out too when I see a little person, so I’m right there with you, but quickly take it in and be on your way. Some people do not know when to stop staring, to the point of ignorant gawking, and those are the people I just want to calmly and quietly go up to and say, “No one else can see me. I’ve been sent here to protect you.”

3. Do Not Try To Relate To A Little Person Because People Ogle At Your Punkie Hair, Piercings, Or Tattoos. People may rudely stare at you because you’re rockin’ a year-round Halloween Headquarters look, but don’t tell me you know the pain of being “different.” You chose to manipulate your body to look freaky and draw attention to yourself, I didn’t volunteer for this, so don’t try to hop on my carnival of pain.

4. Do Not Ask A Little Person Their Height Upon Meeting Them. Unless your eyes deceive you, there is no reason to ask a little person their height when you’re looking right at them.  Would you walk up to a woman you never met and ask her weight? Would you ask a total stranger how big his penis is?  Trust me, as many times as I’ve been tempted to do this, I have managed to fight the urge.

5. Do Not Call A Little Person To Tell Them You Just Saw A Little Person On TV. My phone blows up every time there’s a little person on CSI, like I’m the Goodwill Ambassador to Middle Earth. I mean, do I call you every time I see a fat ugly bald guy on TV? No, because I’ve got manners.

6. Do Not Take Your Little Person Friend To The Renaissance Fair. It’s been my experience that Renaissance Fair enthusiasts cannot turn it off. They are utterly enchanted by little people, as if we have the power to grant wishes or steal first-borns. I am a person, not a mystical creature, despite the fact that I’d kill to live in the Shire.

7. Do Not Tell A Little Person They Are Lucky They Get To Wear “Little” Clothes. If you like what I’m wearing, luck had nothing to do with it. It’s been a lifetime of resourceful ingenuity, home stitching and bank-breaking alterations. “Luck” means you can find your size on any store rack. If you think I’m lucky to dress like one of Marie Osmond’s porcelain dolls, you can go luck yourself.

Continue reading at xojane.