Photographer and plus-size model Lesego “Thickleeyonce” Legobane is trending on Twitter for saying the body positive movement is hijacked by slim girls who are already accepted in society.
Thickleeyonce was responding to a tweet by British Glamour that said “a new trend is sweeping Instagram: ‘reality versus reality,’ which aims to demonstrate that flexed, posed, or relaxed – our bodies are still our bodies, and they’re perfect in any form.”
The model responded with “the body positive movement is not for slim girls who are already accepted in society. Stop it.”
The tweet, which has since been deleted, did not sit well with social media users who believed that her statement was body-shaming slim girls.
One Twitter user, Sethu said: “We understand the movement was created to embrace larger women however, body positivity aims to embrace all body shapes & sizes. Clearly you didn't get that.”
However, Thickleeyonce clarified her statement by saying “Once again, it’s not an attack on anyone’s body type, the same way as BLM isn’t a way of saying that any other life doesn’t matter. I dunno how else to explain it.”
No one was body shaming slim girls beloved. I was highlighting the fact that the body positivity movement is being hijacked by people who are already accepted in society and subsequently pushing out the people it was originally meant for which is fat people. https://t.co/O46EKNo63r
— thickleeyonce (@ThickLeeyonce) September 1, 2020
Beauty blogger and influencer Foyin agreed with Thickleeyonce and said the body-positive movement is not for thin girls. “I get that. but the point is that body-positive movement isn’t for thin women to lead or be the most visible in (which is happening). The erasure this causes is damaging to fat people and the structural fatphobia they face", she wrote.
Like I said, we all deserve to love our bodies and be comfortable in our skin however, it’s not a secrete that slimmer bodies have more privileges than fat bodies. Fatphobia is systemic hence the start of the body positivity movement @NeeloDedication .
— thickleeyonce (@ThickLeeyonce) September 1, 2020
However, Thickleeyonce apologised if it seems as if she was attacking someone. “I’m sorry if you feel like I’m being off or weird or I’m attacking you, that’s not my intention. It’s not a skinny vs fat fight, it’s literally just fat bodies asking to get the same respect and acceptance as smaller bodies.”
“It’s okay if you think I’m being extra but the reality is, fatphobia is a really big thing and this movement is a safe space not just a trend for many. Fat bodies matter, trans bodies matter. It’s all love from me. And I hope brands can be more inclusive.”