Can we start differentiating between body positivity and the body positive activists?
What do I mean? I mean when a body positive activist fucks up, we can’t keep saying how flawed the movement is. The movement is not flawed just because someone misbehaves on behalf of it. One person does not act on behalf of the entire movement.
Body positivity is not shit because a person promotes a diet product. The person’s behaviour is what is shitty, not the movement. The movement exists with or without the person and yes, of course, a movement is comprised of people but it’s also comprised of principles.
The principles do not bend just because a person says so. The central message of body positivity will always be the same. The principles will never waver EVEN IF every single brand under the sun produces a commercialised diluted version of it.
Maybe it’s just me, maybe I’m just sick of defending body positivity to every single person I meet because they’ve only met the uneducated activists in the community. I can stand proud and say I know my shit. I work hard to know my shit. And yet, I know at some point I will fuck up too. Because I am flawed. As all humans are.
But if and WHEN I fuck up , please also do not blame the movement for my wrongdoings. Body positivity is beautiful, needed and important. In my eyes, that fact will never change. #ScarredNotScared