Chloe Bailey has made waves on Instagram all year since her and sister, Halle, created individual social media accounts. She has publicly taken claim over her body and owns it through an essence of seductive photography, dancing, and fashion sense. Chloe revealed hardships she faced in the past with accepting her body and self as a sexual being. Her route isn’t the only way to embrace sensuality but it is a marvel to see as the world watches her grow into it with grace.
It is imperative for young girls to claim their bodies. Otherwise, those who do not live in it will try to enforce, police, and control it. The female body is always up for debate in beauty, rape culture, legal systems, gender identity, etc. But public acts of claiming the female body in all of its senses promotes the idea it is owned by the women doing this above all else and social debate.
Chloe exhibits courage on a public platform with a global audience. She shows the world another facet of her humanity that was not fully recognized before. It takes bravery to step outside of a typically-known image to reveal another one. But it illustrates an act of radical self-love to those watching.
Another woman in the public eye with a fuller figure demonstrates this with a touch of vulnerability. Lizzo is a fat Black woman and she embraces this. Unfortunately, these two facts are not always embraced as warmly by the rest of the world, especially for women. Fatphobia breeds the discrimination and social treatment of fat people. However, Lizzo has risen to a high rank of celebrity despite this, or arguably, because of it.
Nonetheless, she has experienced cruel criticism than her smaller-in-size counterparts would face while exemplifying the same behavior. Through consistent posts on her social media, Lizzo chose to be vulnerable and open-up on the issue the world has with her body. In spite of it, she continues to publicly celebrate her physical image in the spotlight.
These women continuously exercise ownership of their body using public platforms, on and offline. This is just one of the ways it’s done. As it is more practiced, it becomes more comfortable. Different aspects of the female body embraced out-loud encourages ownership and self-esteem.
Rappers like Coi Leray and Maliibu Miitch have spoken out against criticism to their thin physique. Both rappers still celebrate their bodies in its sexual essence and with their own individual style.
All of these factors: courage, vulnerability, and practice help contribute to building self-esteem and embracing one’s sensuality. Each step welcomes a new layer of acceptance. Whether it is in form-fitting clothes, dance videos, bathing suits, or whatever one feels best in, a celebration of the physical self happens.
Beauty standards have expanded throughout the past few years, but nonetheless standards are upheld. Beauty gatekeeps certain opportunities, privilege, or resources to women that exist outside of those bounds. Regardless of choice in clothing, physical embrace of the female body in the public eye resonates a deep message of acceptance and celebration of oneself.
Bianca Green 