View photographs of Becky Kennedy and her family, from the book "Little People" by Dan Kennedy.
At this moment, hundreds of people are flocking to the city of San Francisco for their annual meeting. Its like any such gathering where people share their common concerns. But its also a celebration, with dancing, and lots of flirtation.
What makes this gathering distinct, are the participants. They're all dwarves. Not so long ago, the most welcoming public place for a dwarf might have been the circus. And although the days of the freak show are past, dwarves remain marginalized by much of society. Even in this country's culture that claims to celebrate all that is colorful and diverse, one only needs to look at the standard height of a door handle to see the challenges they face.
Dan Kennedy, Senior Editor and Media Critic for the Boston Phoenix, and author of Little People: Learning to See the World Through My Daughter's Eyes
and Laura Zirpolo, Director of Financial Services at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and Chairperson of the 2003 Little People of America National Conference, held in Danvers, Mass.
