Today's blog post has been four months in the making. Making a stand on something is always scary, because you never know how people will react. But when something's been on my mind for a couple hundred days... well, then maybe that means it's time to say it out loud.
From the very beginning, I've wanted The Lingerie Addict to be a place people could find information about lingerie that's relevant and accessible to them. I truly believe every person --- no matter their size, age, or budget --- deserves gorgeous lingerie, and I want my readers to feel that when they visit.
But lately I've learned that being relevant and accessible goes beyond just prices and brands and cup sizes. It also means cultivating a tone on the blog that's welcoming and inviting. It's so important to me that The Lingerie Addict is a blog everyone can feel comfortable and safe visiting. And even though my About Page talks about my commitment to inclusivity and polite discourse, I've not really been explicit about what that means. And so here it is:
Starting today, The Lingerie Addict is a body snark free zone.
This new direction, if you want to call it that, isn't a decision I made lightly. I always want people to feel like they're welcome to comment, even if they disagree with me, but body snark goes beyond a simple difference of opinion and into something that I really cannot, in good conscience, tolerate.
Body snark is bullying and harassment.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you that bullying and harassment can take many forms, from physical assault to threats and intimidation to social isolation, and some of you reading this may wonder if "harassment" is too strong a word to use for body snark. But I believe that intentionally making people feel small and awful and ashamed because they have the audacity to look a way you don't like (in other words, insulting people just for existing) is harassment. And that's something The Lingerie Addict cannot and will not support, even in a passive way.
People come in a range of shapes and sizes, and while you don't have to believe everyone is beautiful (because that's honestly not the point), this current climate of listing all the ways people's - but especially women's - bodies are ugly, deficient, and shameful is one I can't get behind.
No one's body is "wrong" and in need of changing (or hiding) simply because you don't like it.
Supporting a positive body image doesn't inquire insults. No one should be giving anyone else unsolicited medical advice or critiques about their body. And putting down someone for not fitting into your view of attractive the opposite of okay. We all live in a world where there are endless articles about how to make our bodies "better" and next to none about how to love it just the way it is, and I want to contribute to that, even a little.
I don't know how this new policy is going to go over. And I've prepared myself for backlash if it happens. But I will say that if you feel like our new "no body snark" policy is unfair or like it's censorship or like you just can't enjoy The Lingerie Addict anymore because of it... well, we're probably not the blog for you, and I'm okay with that.
What do you think about us being a body snark free blog? I welcome your thoughts in the comments.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save