You searched for body positive - Page 5 of 77 - Everyday Feminism

Pregnant person lying on a bed, looking concerned

It doesn’t take an expert to know that the celeb moms we fawn over don’t have the typical post-pregnancy experience. But applauding “bouncing back” from a pregnant body is just one of the ways we send humiliating messages to people who have given birth. Have you internalized these messages? Here’s your guide to challenging the criticism of the post-pregnancy body.

Person gloriously showing off their hairy under arms

Body hair is perfectly normal, so why do we get the message that it’s disgusting and unhygienic? The idea that people can monitor and police other people’s bodies is really messed up. Take it from this author, whose transition taught him that no one’s body fits expectations. Read about his love for his body and get inspired to love your own wild and lovely self.

Person with painted toe nails standing on a scape, covering up the number with their feet, embarrassed

Conversations about eating disorders, body image, and beauty standards often focus on straight, cisgender women. But they’re not the only ones struggling. If you’re transgender and dealing with body image concerns and disordered eating, you’re not alone. And you deserve support. Here are some barriers and solutions for trans folks learning to love our bodies.

This author’s date told her “Your body is too wrinkly. I like your head and your heart. But I just can’t deal with your body.” Here’s why she told him “thank you.”

News flash: Women have body hair. Armpits, legs, genitals — even faces. And it’s become a widely accepted rule that they must remove this hair. Some women choose to do this freely, and some women choose to defy this standard. But the stigma runs even deeper than that. Here are four harmful side effects of body hair stigma that you may have overlooked.

I look at my oldest girl and I see what she is experiencing. Her body is transitioning, and she’s particularly concerned and curious about her new bouncy parts that garner attention from a variety of eyes. And as I watch my daughter navigate her new body, I’ve identified some methods to creating support and raising confident, mindful, fully expressed women.

I was a full-blown feminist in college. I also had a full-blown eating disorder. I came to feminism because I could feel the injustice in my obsession. Feminism gave me the framework to see that my eating disorder was part of something larger. But I still couldn’t tell anyone because I felt like a bad feminist. Here’s 5 ways I worked through that inappropriate shame.

When you feel love and approval toward your body, then you can truly experience your life and the world around you. You can live your life with more peace. You can hear your inner truth. You can enjoy being in a body that is uniquely yours. You can do and experience all this and more, but first, you have to give yourself permission to love and accept your body.

We often view being busy and worn out as a sign of being “productive” – so how can you prioritize taking care of yourself? These practical tips can help.

Your body is yours. That should be obvious, right? So why do so many people feel like they can label, critique, debate, and share their opinion on your body? It’s not right, and you don’t have to put up with it. Check out this video to remember that you’re not alone in your frustration. Pass it on to spread the message that your body is not up for discussion.

Fatphobia is so rampantly internalized that many people justify their attraction to fat people by comparing them to non-human objects. It turns the possibility of mutual desire and appreciation into fetish. In this spoken word performance, Samantha Peterson rejects the dehumanizing nuance of supposedly metaphorical compliments and reclaims her body’s agency, humanity, and beauty.

I see and fight bigotry on a daily basis, but I’ve always wanted to know why. Why is our structure this way? Why are women singled out for body shame? Why are fat people bullied to the point of suicide? Why have we learned to hate ourselves? How did we get here? We all deserve to live in a world full of truth and acceptance. So allow me to enlighten you.

I like my body! I may even love my body! More days than not, I look at my reflection and smile with gratitude. And this is a huge deal – because for the majority of my life, I wanted to crawl out of my own skin. It was a long and complicated process that has taken me nearly two years of hard work, but here are some of the major factors that led me to where I am today.

Feeling tired and stressed, a frustrated young person covering ears with hands and keeping eyes closed while standing against gray background

If you can relate to the way this author learned about keeping her body safe, then you probably carry a lot of shame. Get some relief with this inspiring story of learning to embrace your womanhood.

A person with short, black hair stands with their hands resting in their back pockets, smiling slightly.

This author could get corrective surgery to “fix” her tuberous breasts. Her reasons for choosing not to say a lot about society’s beauty standards – especially expectations for women.

Many of us send messages that hurt children’s ability to recognize and communicate about when their personal boundaries are violated. Here are some practical, everyday ways to change that.

When people normalize and defend public sexual harassment, they silence those who would speak out. But as more activists around the world stand up and say they’ve had enough, these misconceptions are getting kicked to the curb – where they belong.

I was born with spastic cerebral palsy. I didn’t think in terms like beautiful/ugly. I was sometimes told I looked nice, but I didn’t expect to hear words like “beautiful” or “stunning” associated with my body. Ever. Those words were for able-bodied people. But now I know that there is room for bodies like mine to be gazed at for reasons other than difference.

Ageism against the elderly is still very prevalent and normalized. For those of us who are young, we often fail to realize the advantages we have being younger than age 65 (sometimes even younger). I hope this list of privileges makes us more aware of the stigma we place on the elderly and how we can be more mindful of how we treat the aging generation.

Person against a teal background with one hand against their face in thought

These misconceptions are so common that this information will probably surprise you. When you read about how they fuel stigma against STI-positive people, you’ll realize why you need to stop buying into these myths.