We could all use more radical self-love in our lives.
But when it comes to body acceptance, that can be difficult -- especially for people who have bodies existing outside the "socially acceptable" norm.
Whether it's skin color, size or disability, body appearance can be a major source of judgment and discrimination. Loving yourself even in the face of all of that negativity is incredibly important, as is encouraging and supporting self-acceptance for people who have marginalized identities that aren’t your own.
Hashtags have become a popular way for the social media-savvy to come together and advocate for body inclusion. Using photos of themselves to spread messages of radical body positivity, these users have created online communities that are helping to start a major self-love dialogue.
This conversation couldn’t be more needed, which is why these hashtags deserve recognition. Check out nine of our favorite hashtag movements that are championing body acceptance for everyone.
@princess_labia despite getting large tattoos to cover/distract, stretch marks and scars are still there#thighreading pic.twitter.com/Z1dMx9rhGs— word? (@baddriverAF) July 21, 2015
One of the newest additions to the body-positive hashtag trend, #ThighReading encourages women to share photos of their stretch marks, scars and other markings on their thighs that they're normally told to hide. Twitter user @princess_labia, the creator of #ThighReading, told Mashable that the hashtag is a way celebrate the story markings on your body tell, similar to palm reading.
For my Crohn's fighters #proud #to #show #of #my #colostomy #bag #on #holiday #bikini #Crohns #crohnsdisease #crohnsawareness #ibd #getyourbellyout #stoma #colitis #colostomybag #ostomyawareness @bethyt_ A photo posted by Yvonne Holley (@yvonneholley29) on May 14, 2015 at 6:38am PDT
To destigmatize the use of colostomy bags often used to treat Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, #GetYourBellyOut encourages social media users to show off their bags as a sign of strength and pride.
Got my first fat shaming troll today; here's my new make. Isn't it sad how unhappy I am? #effyourbeautystandards pic.twitter.com/PBcdJsXWie— Jenny (@cashmerette) July 27, 2015
Created by model and body positivity advocate Tess Holliday, #EffYourBeautyStandards encourages people of all sizes to embrace their bodies as they are right now. The hashtag has especially taken hold for plus-size women, who use the tag as a way to push against fat-shaming and promote radical body positivity.
Good dose of Vitamin Sea! #ocmd #tanlines #insulinpump #t1d #showmeyourpump A photo posted by Alysia George (@alysiasgeorge) on Jul 25, 2015 at 8:22pm PDT
Instead of giving into the common idea that people with diabetes should hide their pumps, #ShowMeYourPump encourages those using pumps to regulate insulin levels to show off and appreciate the devices ensuring their health.
Princess & Queen.... #BlackLivesMatter #blackisbeautiful A photo posted by Yusef Ali (@the.yusef.ali) on Jul 31, 2015 at 4:27am PDT
"Black is beautiful" has been a mantra for the black community since the 1960s, coming out of the Black Power movement. Amid today's #BlackLivesMatter movement, the hashtag #BlackIsBeautiful gained even more traction as a way for people of color to appreciate and celebrate their bodies amid a society that commonly shames them.
Bonus hashtag: Check out #Melanin for even more black excellence.
"I've had these lines since the age of 15 and I'm now 34 it was hard for me to embrace them when I was young. But now I realized they define who I am. A woman, A mother & A strong warrior goddess #mylifelines #mylovelines." A photo posted by #loveyourlines (@loveyourlines) on Jul 28, 2015 at 11:18am PDT
#LoveYourLines celebrates the beauty of stretch marks no matter where they appear on the body. This tag has gained popularity among mothers who affectionately call their stretch marks "tiger stripes," which is a pretty amazing flip on the shame we typically feel for our lines.
The girls at @thehairclinic have been working their little fingers off!! #hair #boxbraids #african #transgender #transisbeautiful A photo posted by Cál Fox (@foxcal90) on Jul 31, 2015 at 8:21am PDT
This hashtag, started and championed by Orange Is The New Black actress Laverne Cox, highlights the beauty of transgender identity. In a society that often shames trans people on the basis of appearance and emphasizes the ideal of "passing," showcasing the beauty of gender diversity is extremely necessary.
#wheelchair #wheelchairgirl #wheelchairlife A photo posted by himmel (@himmelmargarita) on Jul 13, 2015 at 2:06am PDT
Wheelchair users created this hashtag to help fight disability stigma by showing how people with mobility-related disabilities can lead happy and fulfilling lives. The hashtag opposes the common myth that people living with disabilities are somehow lesser than abled-bodied people, which is a message many still need to hear.
9. #Fatkini
Forever apologizing to my body for not loving it sooner. You look great in that bikini, fatty! So great!!! #fatkini #beachbody #fatvanity #fatfemme A photo posted by Kyla (@truefat) on Jul 28, 2015 at 8:09pm PDT
After being told their bodies should be hidden, self-proclaimed fat women started pushing back against that expectation by proudly posing in bikinis -- or #Fatkinis. Wearing a bikini violates every plus-size fashion rule in the book, which is exactly why #Fatkini is an admirable act of body love.