03/13/2022
Meet Taylor Lianne Chandler. She’s an author, activist and consultant. She loves traveling, antique shopping and staying active. Taylor was born intersex and identifies as a “transgender, badass, rock star woman.”
Taylor made headlines for a romantic relationship with former Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps back in 2014. The romance, unfortunately, also made her a target for cyberbullying.
Taylor says people didn’t want to believe the famous athlete would date her, love her or lay with her, so they began to send hate her way from behind the comfort of their phone and computer screens.
Because Michael never acknowledged their relationship, Taylor was called crazy, psycho, a liar and a stalker. The worst part for her was the attacks on her physical appearance, many of which came from famous people with massive platforms.
Because of this, Taylor tried to end her life twice. She went to rehab. She was hospitalized after relapsing into anorexia. She was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
“Whoever said words can’t hurt us was full of it,” she says. “I believe words are the ultimate hurt. I’d take physical pain over hurtful words any day.”
Taylor believes cyberbullies are sick, insecure people who desperately want attention and an audience. But she realizes that her my mental health is more important than proving haters why they are wrong or mistaken.
In addition to going to therapy and taking medication, Taylor also journals her thoughts, colors her emotions, meditates and breathes through triggering scenarios.
Taylor has developed her by not engaging with cyberbullies, reporting their accounts and blocking them. She also uses filters to prevent triggering words from appearing on her social media feeds.
“It really hurts when someone knows exactly how to stab you with venomous words,” says Taylor. “But in the end, you always have the power. The power is you.”
