User @Laceangelmodel posted a picture that was removed despite her being fully covered with the comment "This photo was removed and taken down for being a violation. Where? I'm fully covered!!! Someone threatening to kill me in my comments was not a violation, but this photo is."
It's especially disturbing when compared to what thin people can post with no problem.
It's not just pictures that are being removed - though that would be bad enough. Accounts are also being "shadow banned" - a practice where IG limits who can see pictures to the user and their followers, vastly reducing their ability to be found and seen, especially through hashtags.
As @fullerfigurefullerbust put it "I've defo been shadow banned on instagram - I can tell because my posts never make 'top posts' on hashtags with few posts, and my likes have vastly depleted. If I were a slim woman posting similar content then this wouldn't happen. Fat bodies are being muted, and I'm not ok with that. I post content that I know for a FACT empowers and emboldens others, and yet because my body isn't 'perfect', I'm given a disadvantage. The size 10 women showing how at some angles they have chins and a stomach roll get 468010k likes - because that's acceptable. That's temporary. My big fat body isn't. And it's punished."
Instagram has already been under fire for treating female and male presenting nipples differently. This new inequality in moderation is, like the 'free the nipple' protest, about the autonomy of women and femmes. It's also about the ability of fat people to have and be role models. Representation matters ; a fat person searching for the account of a fat person they admire, or searching a hashtag like 'fatpositive,' should be able to see positive representations of fat bodies without size-based censorship from Instagram.
Sarah Rosen @sehustlerosen and Lou Xavier @misslouxavier had enough. They decided to fight back with an online protest using the hashtag #fatisnotaviolation.
Did you appreciate this post? If you like the work I do, you can support my ability to do more of it with a one-time contribution or by becoming a member.
Like this blog? Here's more cool stuff:Wellness for All Bodies Program: A simple, step-by-step, super efficient guide to setting and reaching your health goals from a weight-neutral perspective. This program can be used by individuals, or by groups, including as a workplace wellness program!
Price: $25.00 ($10 for DancesWithFat members - register on the member page)
Book and Dance Class Sale! I'm on a journey to complete an IRONMAN triathlon, and I'm having a sale on all my books, DVDs, and digital downloads to help pay for it. You get books and dance classes, I get spandex clothes and bike parts. Everybody wins! If you want, you can check it out here!
Book Me! I'd love to speak to your organization. You can get more information here or just e-mail me at ragen at danceswithfat dot org!
I'm training for an IRONMAN! You can follow my journey at www.IronFat.com or on Instagram.
Published by danceswithfat
Hi, I'm Ragen Chastain. Speaker, Writer, Dancer, Choreographer, Marathoner, Soon to be IRONMAN, Activist, Fat Person. View all posts by danceswithfat
