Body Positivity Explained
Lately I’ve been wondering
Whose fault it is —
How distorted the message of body positivity
Has become.
I wonder
Who is doing this ?
In various ideologies
Extremists present themselves mostly by announcing
What they are against, and for.
White supremacists are against
“White genocide” as they see it, and are
In favor of “retaliation” as they see fit.
The Taliban is painted as
“Pro-Islam and
Anti-American”
After 9-11.
For whatever reason
This binary narrative has been applied
To any ideology in which
Society deems unsavory.
The homos are
“Pro-sexuality” and
“Against family values”—
For the longest time was the quip.
Now we get to say— fuck that—
—thats homophobic!
Trans rights are currently being labeled as
“Pro-trans and
Against biological women”
Which most sane people understand
Is transphobic.
Alas—
Body positivity
Is seen as
“Pro-weight gain and
Against dieting”
When will the time come
For you all to understand
That it means being
Against the stigmatization of fat people
To be body-positive
Is to be pro-health
Against your bigoted assumptions
While some see dieting
As violence, others acknowledge
That we are all eating. We all have
A diet. We are all responsible
For our own bodies and our own health and
No one can diagnose you
Based on Instagram and magazine cleanse tips.
Marks daily apple is a for-profit site—
Bodybuilding.com makes money on every
“I used the be fat shamed and now I’m fit-shaming” post they have on their blog
We need to stop
Reducing fat people
To their more visible qualities
And start respecting
All bodies as people
Respect, unconditional
A love and a positivity
That knows no equal— one that can
Heal the soul, and ease the pain
One that helps fat people
Gain what they have lost over and over again—
Respect from society, respect at the doctor,
An understanding that
Health is more about
Your head and your heart
Than it is your waist size.
Perhaps it’s time we acknowledge
Fatphobia
For what it is—
Discrimination, stigma
Oppression.
If you cared about anyone’s health
You would be body positive
And encouraging.
The more someone feels they belong
In this world, the more likely
They will flourish in it.