Yesterday, The Lingerie Addict founder and blogger Cora Harrington (@lingerie_addict) stirred the twittersphere with a now-viral thread on “thin privilege,” the idea that society rewards lean people with special treatment, like the ability to walk into a clothing store and find many options that fit, eat an ice cream cone without being judged, or sit on a plane without the person sitting next to you sneering in disgust.
In the thread, Harrington suggested that the phenomena persists regardless of whether you classify yourself as thin—an argument that launched a conversation about the systematic discrimination and difficulties that plague people on both ends of the straight-size spectrum.
It doesn’t mean your life is easy or that no one ever made fun of your appearance or that you can find everything you want in your local Target. It means societal discrimination and prejudice does not target you for being thin. It means your weight/body type are seen as “normal.”
Here’s the thread in its entirety:
Harrington’s commentary was retweeted more than 3,200 times and liked by more than 13,360 people, hundreds of whom jumped in to share their own stories about issues they’ve encountered as a result of their size.
Many people who identified as overweight agreed that the characteristic can lead to discrimination, judgement, and discomfort, whether you’re seeking healthcare and have to put up with a doctor’s weight-shaming speech, going to the gym, or interviewing for a job.
1/ for everyone commenting on this thread, do you get gawked at dinner? whether you’re eating a burger or a salad? while you’re eating that salad next to another, a thin person, who is chowing down on an entree and two appetizers? do ya? do you get looked at when you walk into a
2/ gym to start the process of feeling better about yourself, for you, not society’s constant pressures? can you be in a relationship with a thin person and not have people questioning why or giving props to said thin person for seeing past the BIG ELEPHANT in the room.
3/ can you post a photo without some twitter doctor mentioning diabetes, heart disease, failing health and telling you that you feeling confident for one minute of your day is PROMOTING OBESITY.
4/ i mean, whether you like it or not, it exists. so if you have to slap another name on it in order to have it resonate, do it. the word privilege obviously triggers a lot of y’all.
bottom line is, this woman has a solid point and i commend her for expressing her opinion✌??
Some participants argued that thin privilege doesn’t extend to people who are deemed “too thin” by societal standards.
God, this is such bull. Not everything is a privilege, especially when thin people too struggle to find clothes to fit them, lack of bras in correct sizes, inability to give blood due to low BMI, called out for being thin ‘do you even eat?’ etc. Such bull.
1) yes I’ve been gawked at while eating and told I “need to eat more” and many other variations regardless of the actually amount of food I’m eating 2) yes I’ve been not only looked at but told I’m too underweight and unhealthy to play sports or strenuously workout +
There was also debate regarding whether all thin people are privileged—like, for instance, those who are plagued by illness or people who put enormous effort into staying in shape.
In sum, there’s no better time to practice self-acceptance and size-sensitivity. Hopefully, the rest of the world will catch up soon.
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