As a plus-size model, Tess Holliday knows a thing or two about body positivity and inclusivity.
In a clip that People has shared from a new documentary called Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image, Holliday shared her insight on why not everyone has embraced the body acceptance movement.
"The fact that people are so offended by the notion that plus-size and fat women deserve a place in the world and that we deserve happiness is a huge reason why things haven’t changed and it’s a huge reason why the fashion industry isn’t quite catching up," she said in the clip.
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Holliday, who has been outspoken about body positivity, also reiterated that we still don't see plus-size women as sexy, and it's holding us all back.
"We’re told that we’re not allowed to feel sexy and that we aren’t going to find people that love us and that we can’t wear certain things unless we look a certain way," she said.
When "98 percent of the world [is] telling you that you don’t deserve those things because of how you look, then some of that starts to stick," she added.
In an essay for Revelist last week, Holliday wrote about the importance of showing body diversity more widely in media.
"When a person who’s struggling with body image issues sees someone who looks like them in a movie, in an advertising campaign, or being celebrated on social media, it’s like they get their own stamp of approval," she wrote. "They start to know their own power and importance."
That begins with knowing that not only do plus-size and fat women deserve to take up space in the world, they're also sexy and desirable.
It's your body. It's your summer. Enjoy them both. Check out more #TakeBackTheBeach here.
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