If you didn’t see the body positive focused Twitter event that was #ThighsForJeaux yesterday – you missed something truly beautiful happening upon the internet.

So long story short, #ThighsForJeaux was conceptualized by the honourable Twitter user @Mijeaux. You can read all about it here, in the fab Marie Claire feature from last year. 

So on 1 September, Twitter was abuzz with people getting ready for TFJ like:

I participated last year, but was a bit wary of doing so this year. Not because I didn’t feel appreciated or didn’t enjoy it – but sometimes people (re: men) enjoy trolling women. I don’t post my thighs as much anymore because I often think people get tired of them (bc tattoos).

In the spirit of things, I said fuck the trolls and got involved anyways.

And if you managed to be on Twitter, it was remarkable. I don’t know about you, but there’s a definite shift in the way we view women’s bodies (as a woman, myself).

ME THE WHOLE TIME AT #ThighsforJeaux pic.twitter.com/wEk6fFAlzW

— thighs of an angel (@hey_alyx) September 1, 2016

 

But mostly, there was so much acceptance and celebration of marginalized bodies. Women being in awe of each other, being vocal about it and standing up for one another. And being supportive of those who didn’t feel comfortable sharing their pictures.

The atmosphere was uplifting, encouraging and no one was taking any kak from any body shamers, people who thought it was too slutty or those who deemed the movement a competition.  All thighs mattered – absolutely all of them.

The rules were enforced with a plethora of people standing up for the cause. By the end of the day, I felt lighter, calmer and filled with a lot more love in my heart. Kindness was coming from all angles – who wouldn’t feel good?

From the visibility of the hashtag, one could see that everyone had a “body story”, whether it was focusing on BDD (body dysmorphic disorder), overcoming an eating disorder, dealing with weight gain/loss or being a first-time participant in the movement.

We are conditioned from such a young age to know that our body isn’t the one we see in magazines/billboards and thus, it can’t possibly be worthy of love.

At the end of the day and event, I did some reflecting and took some time to mull on my feelings. There was so much to take in and think about, beyond the pictures I was seeing on my timeline. The main thing was I just felt really beautiful. That’s something that doesn’t happen every day.

The truth is, caring for and loving your body takes time. It’s not going to be solved in a day but the visibility of other un-retouched bodies made me feel so good. Something changed within a lot of us, yesterday. And I’m so grateful for it.

 

I love your thighs and mine, babes.