One tumblr Fights Fat-Shaming And Feminist-Shaming

Kelly Martin Broderick was fat-shamed and feminist-shamed when her photo of herself holding a sign that said "This is what a feminist looks like" was stolen and posted on a "collective memes" Facebook page. Over at the HuffPo, you can read a detailed account of some of the rude comments Broderick's picture generated, as well as the incredibly vile and juvenile response from the Facebook page itself.

But I'd like to focus more on how Broderick is changing this unfortunate situation into a positive way for other people to express their feminist identities. She's created a tumblr called We Are What Feminists Look Like where people can send in photos of themselves to show what feminists really look like....which is, of course, like everyone.

On the about page, Broderick wrote:

Feminists are not a monolith. We are diverse and unique. We don’t fit into every stereotype. We are all different.

Broderick also wrote a piece for xoJane where she says this Facebook page "picked the wrong feminist fatty" to mess with. Although the Internet can often be a place for sexist assholes to gather and propagate offensive humor, Broderick's actions remind me that it's also a place where people can support, share, and challenge the misogyny that continues to pervade our society. She's received hundreds of photos in just a few days and submissions continue to roll in.

If you'd like to participate, send your photo with the caption THIS IS WHAT A FEMINIST LOOKS LIKE to wearefeminists@gmail.com or submit through tumblr.