The body positivity activist shared her ten favourite Instagram accounts that she’d recommend to anyone looking for a much-needed feed refresh withSelfmagazine. Here they are…
Social media was once a breeding ground for people fixated with making their lives appear a lot less glossy than reality behind their filtered snaps.
But, thankfully, the #humblebrags that once populated our Instagram feeds have been replaced with a refreshing take on reality. Whether it’s women showing off their filter-free bodies or bloggers revealing the truth behind their deceiving snaps, we have so much time for it.
That’s why we’re loving Tess Holliday’s list of the ten most empowering women to follow on Instagram.
What Tess Holiday said about being a body positivity role model will give you all the feels
@watchshayslay
Is this… how you want me? . ? : @underneath_we_are_women. As a fat transwoman, sex work was almost inevitable. During the beginning of my transition. , I knew that my body, would become an outlet for this field. Well many of my trans sisters were working on their bodies, via surgery; my weight created a natural feminine appearance. . These features made passibility fairly simple, which in hand, made sex work come easier. (pun intended) My body was already fetishized as a fat individual, adding in being transgender, was the bow on the package. And while I struggled, it was never half as bad as my sisters. . My life existed at nightfall; when we comb the depths of darkness, searching to fulfill our fantasies. Hoping one day, we will be comfortable enough, in accepting our true desires. Desires far too outside the box for streamline society. What lies inside us, will always stir, unless we tame it. . My body became a running experiment for the lost, confused, and questioning. Men seeking an outlet for release, that they weren’t finding at home. To which my mind was comfortable with accepting. I had money, stability, and my mentality. Or so I thought…. I always say, sex work chose me. But what I never chose, was to disconnect mentally. While I used my body to survive, my mental health deteriorated. I had to disconnect, because without it, I wouldn’t have managed. . When I finally left sex work, that mentality remained. It took years for me to truly appreciate, my body and sexuality, for what they are. To enjoy, the act of sharing yourself with someone, because you want to… and not because you have to. . I own my body. I’m allowed to feel sexy outside of the constraints, that have been pushed upon me by society. I refuse to remain in the darkness, when I am filled with so much light. . I will not be denied the option, to lead a ordinary life, because my body isn’t accepted societally. So I will stay mentally aware, enjoy sex, and own all of it… because that is what I deserve. .
A post shared by Shay Neary (@watchshayslay) on May 1, 2018 at 9:12am PDT
@marquimode
✨? I hit #10k today and I can’t thank y’all enough for supporting me all this time. I know I’m not always the most active consistently on here but being a non-white blogger, visibility is a huge piece of importance for me. As a young one I never really had a fat icons to look up to that were male, femme, and telling me that it’s okay to have unsure feelings in my identity and I’m trying to change that for the ones who come after me. ? ✨. . ? ? ? to all the mixed raced suburban fat kids, who thought they were too weird or too femme feeling or joined football because they thought it would help them be defined as a masculine, or thought that being mixed race wasn’t as good enough as being white. For the kids who grew up listening to Keith sweat, en vogue, and Tony Toni Toné but didn’t know the words to Journey, Queen, or Bon Jovi. To the kids tho sang in choir for YEARS and never got the solo they wanted, and to the ones who just don’t know what they want, this ones for y’all. THANKS FOR LETTING ME BE FAT AND GAY ONLINE. I love you. ? ? ?
A post shared by ? ? ? Marquis Neal ? ? ? (@marquimode) on Jun 22, 2018 at 8:22am PDT
@mynameisjessamyn
I don’t aspire to be a role model. I aspire to be a person who doesn’t hate herself. I’m not trying to inspire anyone. I’m a hot mess- the fuck do I look like, trying to “inspire” someone else? Gimme a break. Frankly, I’m confused as to when we stopped looking in the mirror for our heroes and started lookin’ for ‘em on the internet. Sure, I’m glad that more people are exploring yoga and trying not to say shitty things about their bodies. And if my messy ass IG account has something to do with this new trend, then I guess that’s cool, too. But prepare to be disappointed because I’m extremely complicated, rude, aggressive, and I hold very polarizing opinions. And if someone chooses to be disappointed in me bc my behavior doesn’t mimic what they need in their own life, that’s just gotta be their cross to bear. A bitch can only worry about being her own hero- look in the mirror and find your own goddamn inspiration. #yoga @justincookphoto literally made me take this thotty ass picture and he was so dedicated to the cause that my dude pop, lock, dropped it in front of this very Mack truck just to make sure I fully understood what he wanted me to do. Never will I ever forget the time that JUSTIN. COOK. dropped his ass for me and @lisa_lisa_creative’s enjoyment. @alexboerner , you know you loved it too. )
A post shared by Jessamyn (@mynameisjessamyn) on Jun 4, 2018 at 2:05pm PDT
