As someone who cares very deeply for body positivity (and someone who is a self-identified body image activist), I try to use the Internet to spread the messages of others who are making a difference, such as body positive activists. In fact, I would argue that blogs, Tumblr's, and social media as a whole have been responsible for building both the body and fat positive movements as we know them today. And this is something I want to celebrate, since the amazing activists involved are helping to create a more diverse, accepting world.
Now, if you are oblivious to body positivity or don't follow any positive body image bloggers right now, get on it! In summary, body positivity is a movement that is built upon the premise that all bodies are good bodies. All body types are worth celebrating and body shame should be completely eradicated as a social principal. Instead of cursing ourselves over our belly fat, thighs that have no gap, or breasts that aren't perky, we should question the messaging that tell us our bodies should look a certain way to begin with, and love ourselves, regardless.
Sounds pretty awesome, right? Because it is! Feeling good about your body and celebrating it for its beauty is such a better way to live. If you are already doing this, keep going and use this list to find more people to follow! If you're new but want to get started, why not begin with these eight badass body positive activists?
1. Virgie Tovar
Virgie Tovar is a self-proclaimed fierce fattie who focuses specifically on empowering the fat, female body. She is the editor of the anthology Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love, and Fashion, the creator of Babecamp, and a certified sexuality educator, to top it all off.
Virgie runs a popular blog and used Instagram to start the social media movement #LoseHateNotWeight, which seeks to reframe our ideas of self-care and improvement. She also has an amazing sense of fashion and shows off her style on Instagram quite often!
2. Allison Epstein
Epstein is an eating disorder survivor and body image blogger who writes on The Body Pacifist, a blog about making peace with your body and loving yourself as you are, even if that's a work in progress — especially if it's a work in progress. Epstein is also the Managing Editor of Adios Barbie, an intersectional body positive organization that works to "redefine perceptions of beauty and power." She's also extremely intelligent and eloquent, which makes her writing such a pleasure to read.
3. Sarah Rae Vargas
If you love fashion, body positivity, and want it served with a side of sass, check out Sarah Rae Vargas! This blogger is behind Ravings by Rae, which she spun off into a very popular YouTube channel a couple of years ago, where she has over 300,000 subscribers. She makes videos ranging from plus-size hauls, to her advice series Dear Fat Girl, to her no-nonsense sex series for young girls, Let's Talk About Sex.
4. Melissa A. Fabello
Fabello has been making videos on YouTube since 2011, when she originally started vlogging for Miss Representation about body image and the media. She has since gone on to create widely viewed videos like, "How Diets Hurt You (And Help Capitalism)," and "Why I'm a Body Image Activist." She is also a co-managing editor of the online magazine Everyday Feminism and has written extensively on the site about thin privilege and eating disorder recovery.
5. Gabi Gregg
GabiFresh is the plus-size fashion blogger who arguably put body positivity on the map. She uses her website to talk style and beauty in a refreshing (no pun intended) way. Instead of trying to hide her curves or cover her fat, as many publications will tell you to do if you're not thin, she embraces her shape. Gregg brings body positivity to the sartorial world and even started the hashtag #fatkini in order to create positive representations of plus-size women who rock two-piece bathing suits.
6. Golda Poretsky
The founder of Body Love Wellness, Golda Poretsky runs a coaching business where she empowers women of size to live the beautiful lives they deserve. She spent 24 years of her life dieting, before she decided to set herself free and chart her own course in body acceptance. She has also written the book 25 Reasons to Stop, 25 Ways to Heal and gave the popular TEDx talk, "Why It's OK to be Fat." Poretsky has her hands in many pots as a body image activist and is succeeding with flying colors at each and every one.
7. Rachel O'h-Uiginn Estapa
Estapa is the founder of the community More to Love, which focuses on spreading the knowledge of body love for people of all shapes and sizes. Her approach to health and happiness is holistic and she uses this philosophy in her life coaching, classes, and, of course, blogging. She also has an incredible story of unlearning diet culture, as she dieted constantly in her early adulthood, only to find it filled with empty promises and self-loathing.
8. Jes Baker
The creator of the popular blog The Militant Baker, this media powerhouse has a forthcoming book, is a keynote speaker at the Body Love Conference, and recently created the #EmpowerALLBodies hashtag. She calls herself a "fierce body advocate" and uses all of her platforms to promote diversity and body positivity. In short, she's pretty awesome.
Images: Virgie Tovar, Sarah Rae Vargas, Melissa Fabello, GabiFresh/Instagram; TheMilitantBaker; Allison Epstein, Rachel Estapa/LinkedIn; BodyLoveWellnes/Twitter
