The truth about body-shaming in the queer communityBody shaming is an issue that has plagued the queer community for a long time, but we don't talk often enough about it.
by Luh Tsele
03-02-2023 16:29
in Health and Fitness
A hand written stop.Image: Teunie van Hernen/Flickr
It has become a tradition for people to try and reinvent themselves in the new year, and there is no problem with doing that, as long as you are doing it for yourself and not body-shaming others while doing it.
--
Body shaming Body shaming is an issue that we don't talk about enough in the queer community, which is odd because it has become one of the strongest pillars that define us, especially men who seek men.
I call it a strong pillar because at every turn we are bombarded with no fats and no fems don't even take my word for it, open the gates of the dating app Grindr and read the gospel.
On this queer dating app, we are conditioned to believe that to be worthy of love, companionship, or a simple hookup, you have to look a certain way.
--
Having to live in a world that puts us under so much scrutiny, you would think we would be kinder to one another but that isn't the case. Full-figured queer individuals are made to feel less than others because of their body shape.
ALSO READ: Sam Smith's new body-positive video celebrates queer sexuality
Masculine ripped looking men are glorified and put on the pedestal as the tokens of what an attractive man should look like.
--
I've had someone actually say, If you lost a little bit more weight, I think we could go on a date, Said Sam Coffie on the American morning tv show Good Morning America.
I didn't like being big, and in this gay industry you don't win when you are full figured said a friend of mine in a conversation about weight loss.
My friend and I were not even talking about body standards in the queer community, we were talking about weight loss in general, but at that moment he felt the need to emphasise that gay men do not appreciate full-figured men.
Body positivity Recently we have seen the body positivity movement rise to combat body shaming, simply put, body positivity focuses on promoting acceptance of all body types.
ALSO READ: Big Brother Titans' is here but queer representation is not
This movement has taught us that skinny is not a measure of beauty or health. Body positivity has taught us the simple act of being kinder to ourselves, and our bodies. It is important to note that body positivity is not advocating for obesity but rather holistic health that includes mind and body.
I implore the LGBTIQ community to cultivate being body positive not only to others but to ourselves as well. Learn to love and appreciate yourself, and do not let what you see on social media be a reason to hate your body.
Most of us are dealing with the same issues, so reach out to a trusted friend or family member and talk about your insecurities. Most importantly stop talking negatively about yourself and your body.
It's time to take a stance I'm not going to be able to please everyone with my outward appearance. Someone's always going to have a critique, and someone's always going to have some negativity to say about me.
So all that matters is what I think of it. I had to go deep inside myself and look in the mirror. Looking in the mirror and accepting what's in the mirror is very, very difficult. And right now, I love it every time I look in the mirror said American singer, rapper, and flutist Lizzo.
The LGBTIQ community already has to endure a lot from a highly heteronormative society, let's not add to our struggle. The consequences of body shaming include anxiety, depression, and other health-related issues such as body dysmorphia.
I believe that the queer community knows better than anyone how difficult it is to maintain a healthy state of mind, so it shouldn't be hard to be kind and help others take a step in the right direction with their mental health.
ALSO READ: The search for Miss Drag South Africa 2023 has begun
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES FROM LUH TSELE
SOAPIE QUIZ: How well do you know Scandal!'? WIN R1 000 in cash! ENTER HERE
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
06/07/2026
Long-developed relationships and informal access, three production models, and c...
06/07/2026
The deal follows Lumine's recent acquisition of Synamedia's video-networ...
06/07/2026
This former SportsCenter producer is shaping local-team studio coverage to surro...
06/07/2026
IMS Productions and FOX Sports deployed more than 100 cameras, 32 onboard feeds,...
06/07/2026
Lumine Group Inc. has announced the completion of its acquisition of the Video Network Business from Synamedia. The business will operate as a standalone compan...
06/07/2026
NASCAR has announced a content and commercial partnership with Motorsport Network, a motorsports and automotive media platform, to distribute NASCAR original co...
06/07/2026
Versant Media Group has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Full Swing, a sports technology company, from Bruin Capital and a group of minority investor...
06/07/2026
DAZN has announced global broadcast rights to 3ICE, a professional hockey format featuring three skaters and a goalkeeper per side, with no power plays or offsi...
06/07/2026
Bundle gains 100 new synths & more
Synth Anthology 5 the largest and most feature-packed edition of UVI's hardware synth emulation bundle, bringing toge...
06/07/2026
Available now via free firmware update
MOTU have just announced that three of their popular audio interfaces now boast official Milan Certification. The 16A...
06/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz completes Hunter Preliminary Design Review for the Integrated Co...
06/07/2026
The R&S IMAGER from Rohde & Schwarz uses millimeter wave imaging to inspect the ...
06/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
06/07/2026
Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice Pre...
06/07/2026
Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development
Brie Clayton July 6, 2026
0 Comments
The strategic new appointment supports...
06/07/2026
Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve
Michael Cioni July 6, 2026
0 Comments
This is a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to setup your...
06/07/2026
Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro
Colin Smith July 6, 2026
0 Comments
Here I showcase the innovative automatic caption translation f...
06/07/2026
Flavor's First Ever Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Execu...
06/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Medtech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might think...
06/07/2026
Zhongyi Optics unveils the Dreamy Zone T1 FF Cine Lens Series on Indiegogo with ...
06/07/2026
Techtel debuts insyght: making ST 2110 media discovery easy
intellisphereinsyght2026
6 July Written By Suzanne Costello
Sydney, Australia - 06 July 2026 T...
06/07/2026
Monday 6 July 2026
Sky agrees to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment, creating a ...
06/07/2026
Fresh from his World Cup heroics with Cabo Verde, Roberto Pico' Lopes will join the RT panel for Argentina v Egypt tomorrow and for the England v Norway q...
06/07/2026
Nations have long invested in domestic infrastructure to advance their economies, protect and use their data, and take advantage of technology opportunities in ...
06/07/2026
Every year, the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) reveals where thousands of AI researchers have decided to put their work.
This year's ...
06/07/2026
A death can be unsuspicious, but it has to be explained
What happened to Ke...
05/07/2026
We've gone to another level of integrating the graphics into the set architecture' - Zac Fields, SVP, Graphic Technology and Integration, FOX Sports...
05/07/2026
Browser-based and desktop apps available
Digital Sunset Studios have been busy working on an interesting project: a free software tool that provides compute...
04/07/2026
When Canada qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OneSoccer knew this wasn'...
04/07/2026
Celebrates company's 80th anniversary
Rhodes have recently revealed that they will be producing a limited run of electric pianos in celebration of their...
04/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program
Brie Clayton July 3, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagi...
04/07/2026
iZotope Joins Boris FX
Boris Yamnitsky July 3, 2026
0 Comments
iZotope, the team behind RX and Ozone, is joining Boris FX. A letter from founder Boris...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/07/2026
New bundle & three Single Packs
Continuing to expand their already sizeable orchestral collection, VSL's latest release introduces three new Single Pack...
03/07/2026
Venue installs new ATC-equipped control room
LSO St Luke's, a unique music venue that also serves as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, have rec...
03/07/2026
Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV
3 July, 2026
Media releases
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has strengthened its commitment...
03/07/2026
1 February 2023
SHARE Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
Munich, Germany, 1st February 2023: Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software technology for digit...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Death Star
Andy Marken July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Look, I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire; I hate i...
03/07/2026
Berklee's New Visual Identity: Honoring Our History, Building for What's...
03/07/2026
Scripps Research scientists awarded $2M to advance global disease surveillance Two Gates Foundation grants will expand wastewater surveillance and AI-driven dis...
03/07/2026
Joan Pulupa joins Scripps Research faculty to study the organization of DNA in brain cells and its links to neurodegeneration Using smell-sensing neurons and ad...
02/07/2026
Entering her senior year, this hometown girl is paving a career in live sports production gaining experience in replay and audio and as a TD
In the live-sports...
02/07/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
The truth about body-shaming in the queer communityBody shaming is an issue that has plagued the queer community for a long time, but we don't talk often enough about it.
