Plus-size blogger has a powerful message after Instagram removes her bikini photos
Last month, Singaporean-Indian blogger Aarti Olivia Dubey was invited to a photo shoot for the June issue of the fashion magazine Cleo. However, when she posted her behind-the-scenes photograph from the shoot on Instagram, it was taken down.
Dubey has over 16,000 Instagram followers and runs the blog Curves Become Her, which she describes as a "body hate free zone" and a "space to discuss plus-size fashion, be body positive and encourage female empowerment."
She was also the first-ever plus-size model to be featured in a fashion magazine in Singapore. After the Instagram post of her photograph with two other bloggers was taken down, she responded by reposting the image and asking people to share it as much as possible. The post got over 3,500 likes.
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"Instagram, there are accounts and images that have nudity, disturbing imagery, racism, sexism, hate and THIS is what gets deleted? I ask you, where is my freedom of speech as a plus size blogger to post an image that resonated with so many and for all my posts as a plus size person that give hope to my followers?" Dubey wrote on Instagram. "Where is the justice in keeping terrible trolls and shamers and haters on the Internet while removing my image that is the antithesis of shaming or hating or trolling?"
Dubey was initially told that her photograph violated Instagram's community guidelines. She followed up with a series of hard-hitting Instagram and blog posts on fat shaming. After two weeks, Instagram apologised for its mistake and restored the photograph.
"A plus sized woman ‘should not’ show her cellulite or love handles, she should not display her flabby flappy arms, she should not show her double chin and if she is to be shown appreciation, the least she could be is pretty," Dubey wrote on her blog.
"The lesson here my dear friends, is that in a world where bodies like mine are still regarded with blind hate and faux-concern..there is only one way to get through the muck," Dubey added on her blog. "And that is to rise above it, create ripples of change and move forward."
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Topics Instagram
Sonam Joshi was Mashable's principal correspondent in India. She has previously worked for The Times of India group and Time Out Delhi, and written for The Caravan, Mint Lounge and Yahoo Originals.
