Image via Instagram/@thickleeyonce
Students weigh in on ThickLeeyonce comment on excluding slim bodies
A Twitter comment by South African body positive activist ThickLeeyonce has triggered off a debate about sizeism.
Image via Instagram/@thickleeyonce
Plus-size model Lesego “ThickLeeyonce” Legobane’s controversial tweet on a magazine’s post on body positivity has hit hard.
The South African canvassed students to see if they agreed with the outspoken words by the blogger and activist.
ThickLeeyonce responds to Tweet
ThickLeeyonce shared British Glamour’s post on a new trend sweeping Instagram called “reality versus reality”.
The magazine aimed to show that bodies are still perfect regardless of if they are flexed, posed or relaxed.
ThickLeeyonce retweeted this post saying: “The body positivity movement is not for slim bodies already accepted by society. Stop this.”
Twitter’s mixed reactions
Many Twitter users called out what they saw as the direct contradiction of a body positive activist excluding and body-shaming a body different to her own.
It angered many Tweeps and sparked off a debate between those who supported ThickLeeyonce model and those who did not.
This also led to Tweeps digging up past ThickLeeyonce comments where she body-shamed skinny women. These tweets then resurfaced as she trended.
Students weigh in on ThickLeeyonce
The South African asked a few students for their views on Thickleeyonce’s comments, which varied.
“You can ask any skinny girl how many times in their life they’ve been asked things like: Do they eat,” said Durban University of Technology fourth year radiography student Feroshia Osman.
“With a platform so broad, she could be doing great things with regards to the true essence of body positivity. Segregating body ‘shapes’ is contradicting the meaning of body positivity,” Osman said.
“Posts like this are toxic and people need to be more empathetic towards each other. Sis needs to educate herself.”
Male students also had an opinion.
“She’s claiming to know what society thinks, while actually stating her own opinion on the matter,” said electrical engineering postgrad student Nikhil Naidoo.
“She creates a negative perception of others, becoming what the movement is against.”
First year business management and technology student Marissa Naidoo said ThickLeeyonce should build not bring down.
“As a body positive activist she should be building up confidence, not excluding and bringing down other body types,” Naidoo said.
‘No weight limit on beauty’
Varsity College student De-Anndre Pillay agreed.
“There is no weight limit on beauty, women are more than just their measurements,” said the fourth year BEd student.
“Each curve represents an entirely independent and beautiful individual who doesn’t need, nor rely on, society’s fake labels.”
However, not everyone fully believed ThickLeeyonce was wrong. Some felt her message may have been misinterpreted.
“I understand what she was trying to say which is that ‘fat bodies matter’ because skinny bodies are already accepted as the standard of beauty,” said journalism student Sanelisiwe Mabaso.
“Fat bodies have often been ridiculed and shamed. She just did not say it in a proper manner,” Mabaso said.
ThickLeeyonce has since made her Twitter account private, so those who do not already follow her have to request her permission to view her tweets and follow her.
