bodied •
If you’re skinny, you need to know your place in the body positive movement
Don’t get it twisted, it’s not about you
by Ari Bines
Sorry, but I think we've come to a point where it's time to identify what body positivity actually is, and quit playing the skinny shaming card when all us fat girls are trying to do is uplift the thickums.
Anytime straight-size people play the victim for having the privilege of dominating pop culture, I get a bit irritated. Skinny shaming is absolutely a real thing, but in no way does it oppress you like fat shaming does.
The thing that skinny people constantly forget is that within the body positive movement, there is space for every body, straight-size, in between or plus size, but there is a lot of confusion as to why it started in the first place. I'll tell you this much, though, it wasn't initially started nor intended for the already mainstream straight sized people of the world.
So let's break it down as to what body positivity is, why it matters so damn much and why fat phobic people are so offended with our presence.
First of all body positivity isn't the same as body confidence
The purpose of the body positive movement is to celebrate marginalized bodies. Essentially, those who live on the heavier side are very rarely represented in media in the same way that straight size people are. Being a bigger girl means constantly carrying the pressure of having to change because it's the only option we're given if we want to both figuratively and literally "fit in".
Of course being positive about your body is great, but it's a lot harder for thick babes to accept their own because skinny people have already planted their seed in society, making it present that their bodies are washhh poppin.
Fat shamers are really just weak-minded individuals
How does my size and existence affect your life? If you don't want to look at these thighs and muffin top, you're in luck. The door is right there. But what you're not gonna do is hate on somebody for being who they are.
When you really think about it, racism, sexism and sizism are the pettiest ideals society has developed for itself. "I don't like you because you're this size." That makes about as much sense as Kanye saying slavery was a choice (because my ancestors tooootally wanted to be shackled up, raped and beaten for fun, right? Mkay).
We have way bigger issues than how much space my ass takes up, but altogether, we've been conditioned to think in this one size fits all mindset and it needs to stop now.
As for the people who cry skinny shaming, well…
The essence of body positivity is quite similarly the sizism equivalent to racism and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. So in the same way that Black people are struggling with living their lives in their melanin skin without getting shot down like animals is how fat people are trying to munch freely on salad without receiving dirty looks.
Straight size people who say bod pos activists are tearing them down are #AllLivesMatter-ing those marginalized bodies. You get me? They're trying to shut us up and reinstate the idea that Gigi Hadid's bod is more valuable that Rebel Wilson's and that just ain't it, boo.
I'm not endorsing poor eating, unhealthy lifestyles nor saying that people shouldn't exercise. I'm saying that you shouldn't be worried about other people's bodies if it's not yours. Like…can they live? Whatever your body type is, it's your responsibility to make sure it's happy because it's the only one you got.
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