Over the past couple of years, Tess Holliday has become something of an icon for body positivity — but recent events suggest Facebook doesn’t necessarily share this view.
Last week, Melbourne-based organisation Cherchez La Femme attempted to created a Facebook ad for ‘Feminism and Fat’, the latest instalment of their monthly talk show series.
They’d illustrated the ad with an image of size 22 model Holliday in a bikini, which anyone would argue was a perfectly relevant and appropriate choice.
The image in question. (via Facebook/Cherchez La Femme)
The 30-year-old rose to fame by founding the hugely popular 'Eff Your Beauty Standards' campaign, which preaches body love and diversity.
On her own social media accounts, Holliday regularly calls out body shaming and reminds her followers that health and happiness are not indexed to size.
Yet Facebook knocked the ad back, claiming it violated their guidelines by "promoting an idealised physical image". The event organisers appealed the social media site's decision, assuming an error had been made, but it wasn't upheld.
Top Comments
Tess is absolutely beautiful. She has a great outlook on life. I don't think anyone would disagree with any of that. But her weight is not a healthy weight. She is putting a lot of strain on her body. By all means promote her beauty, promote her confidence but don't promote her weight as ideal. It's not ideal.
I've been struggling to understand for a while now why people seem to be hailing her as a positive role model for women.
I think it's great that she is confidant and happy but the fact is that she is obese. While she may be healthy now, it's only a matter of time before complications begin to arise.
I agree that women should be celebrated for our differences - we all have our own qualities and flaws which make us unique. But it's not a positive thing to promote unhealthy body images. It's downright dangerous. Obesity is just at the other end of the spectrum of anorexia, neither should be promoted.