Kylie Jenner’s controversial wheelchair shot for Interview hasn’t quickly been forgotten like other Kardashian-Jenner news, with many still up in arms and banding together over the editorial’s ableism, that is discrimination in favour of able-bodied people.
Erin Tatum, who lives with cerebral palsy, is one woman showcasing how appropriated images like Kylie’s can take their toll on the disabled community, sharing a now-viral image of herself in a wheelchair, dressed like Kylie for maximum effect.
“I tried my best to create a more authentic version of Kylie Jenner’s Interview cover, given that I’m, you know, actually disabled and a real life wheelchair user,” Erin wrote on the Tumblr post which has now amassed over 120,000 notes.
“I can barely get people to make eye contact with me, let alone land a cover shoot,” she continued. “If being in a wheelchair is trendy now, I’ve apparently been a trendsetter since before Kylie was born.”
Erin’s choice to wear the same leather-clad outfit as Kylie and position her image comparatively next to hers makes a powerful statement, explaining why it isn’t appropriate to use one’s necessity as another’s fashion prop.
