Body Positivity Advocate Defies Critics Who Claim They’re ‘Uncomfortable’ To See Her In A Bikini

Aug 10, 2023

The body positivity movement has been around for a while, going as far back as 1969, and has roots in the fat acceptance movement of that time. The goal was to encourage people to stop stigmatizing fat people and help the latter category accept their body size so that they could at least seek to lose weight through healthy means. 

The movement grew to include acceptance of all body types as the years went by, and by 2012, it became a full-blown movement with a name and a goal to challenge society’s definitions of beauty. The body positivity movement, in its basic form, is an admirable cause; however, in recent times, critics have come out to challenge the harmful lifestyles often promoted by proponents of the movement. 

The movement often prides itself on being inclusive. However, a study showed that most influencers promoting body positivity on Instagram are young, white, non-disabled females. Critics of the movement also often call out the lack of attention to health issues that may arise from being overweight, including issues with the heart, blood pressure, knees, sugar levels, and hips. 

A study also showed that vanity sizing, a practice in which cloth manufacturers label clothing with sizes that are smaller than the actual cut to promote customers’ self-esteem, could lead to the normalization of obesity and being overweight. 

A plus-size influencer sparked a conversation on May 31, 2023, when she shared her response to a neighbor who felt uncomfortable seeing her in swimwear on TikTok. The video received both positive and negative comments. Continue reading to know what she did and said. 

A plus-size woman posted a video on TikTok on May 31, 2023, where she showed followers her response to a neighbor who told her they were uncomfortable with her wearing swimwear because of her size. 

“What I wear to swim in my pool that makes my neighbor uncomfortable,” the woman, Gillian, wrote in an overlay text on her video. An automated voice also read out the words. 

In the clip, Gilian wore an orange summer dress and held the bottom part of a two-piece swimwear. The first transformation occurred when she showed herself in the swim pant with her gown rolled up. She repeated the process with the upper part of the blue swimwear. The final part of the transformation showed her wearing sandals and shades, after which she blew a kiss.

“Wear what you want because and let others let you live rent free in there minds,” Gillian captioned the video. “Swimsuit is from @Alpine Butterfly shoes from @Torrid sunglasses from @Amazon #ifykyk #fyp #plussizecommunity #bodypositivity #fatcommunity #plussizetiktok #plussizefashion #plussizeedition #whatiwear.”

When someone commented, “I don't understand why it’s you goal to make people uncomfortable though?” 

Gillian responded, “It is not my goal to make people uncomfortable. People are uncomfortable because I wear what I want, and I'm a bigger person.”

She also posted a video on Instagram and showed herself rocking a pink swimsuit with white stripes on the edges she just got. The TikToker captioned the clip of herself dancing and mouthing the song playing in the background, “Just me loving myself in this bikini.” 

A second Instagram clip she posted in 2022 showed her in a black floral print, sitting on her bed as she showed off her belly flab, to which she received many positive comments. 

What do you think of the woman's actions? Let us know — and be sure to pass this on to friends and family members.