#bodily-autonomy

#bodily-autonomy

In a photographic self-portrait taken not long after she was diagnosed with squamous cell bladder cancer in 2020, Tracey Emin's iPhone shrouds her right breast as our line of vision descends from her catheter to her urostomy bag to her disposable knickers. Her body is fragile here in this hospital mirror, yet her gaze is anything but. It looks us dead in the eye as if to say: I matter, this matters a sureness that challenges the notion of subjugation in times of ill-health.

Going out and demonstrating is really important. But if you don't feel comfortable demonstrating, you can volunteer for organizations, you can donate to organizations, you can sign petitions, you can call your senator. There's no excuse not to be involved on some level.

What does loving yourself at any size mean now that weight loss is back in fashion and becoming more accessible than ever? Can you still be body positive while wanting to lose weight? The former body positivity influencer Gabriella Lascano argues that the movement has lost its way and taken an extreme turn in recent years. But she says there's a middle ground that still champions self-love and bodily autonomy while redefining them, too.

Forcing kids to hug and kiss relatives and family friends teaches them their physical boundaries don't matter and that they don't have autonomy over their bodies.