Maggie Lindemann
Maggie Lindemann has a quote in a script font on her upper back from the poem “Troll” by author Shane Koyczan. It says “turning freedom of speech into freedom of cruelty.” The poem is about how internet trolls are extremely harmful to their victims and trolling is not a game.
On her twitter, Maggie explained that the tattoo is an anti-bullying message, writing: “freedom of cruelty meaning bullying.” She has spoken out about the seriousness of bullying as well as her own experiences:
Sorry for getting in my feelings but when it comes to bullying it really gets to me. Bullying forever affects you. Those words never leave your head. People were so mean to me starting 5th grade. I was so desperate to be loved, people made a joke out of me. I just wanted to be loved. Someone almost burnt my house down and put plastic forks under my window and pads everywhere right after I had gotten out of treatment. I am strong now. I know my worth and I know I’m not that fragile little girl anymore. But some words really hit home. You just never know what someone has gone through. Always be kind. For anyone that has gone through bullying. I’m always here for you, it’s a real thing. It’s a scary thing
When Maggie was going through dark times, Shane Koyczan’s poems hit home. They resonated with her so much that she’s had two of them tattooed — the first is on her arm. She got this tattoo in December 2016 from her favorite artist Romeo Lacoste, who does all of his cursive tattoos in his own handwriting. “Thank you @romeolacoste for always being the best at what you do,” Maggie wrote on her Instagram.
