Body Image

                                                          Image Credit: UnSplash

I fear that I am the elephant

And not because of the majestic size of my body, or the beautiful wrinkles of my skin

But the elephant in the room

                                                                 Image Credit: UnSplash

Originally posted on Ravishly.

Frequently, I get messages from people – usually cis men who are dating cis women, but not always – asking me what the hell they’re supposed to do when their partner talks negatively about their own body.

“She’s unhappily gained weight since we’ve been together, and I know saying ‘I still think you’re beautiful’ confirms the idea that fat is bad,” they say.

                                                      Photo Credit: UpSlash

                                                      Author: Jameson Hampton

 There’s an odd dichotomy that comes with being transgender. On the one hand, I often feel like a teacher. There’s an assumption that I know more about gender theory than the average person and, for better or worse, there’s often an expectation that I educate others about my own identity, what it means to be trans and the struggles of my community. On the other hand, I often feel very much like a student, still trying to figure out things about my own body that other people have known since they were young.

We inherit a lot from our families. We inherit DNA, values, even behaviours and beliefs. Unfortunately, not everything we inherit benefits us. Sometimes it’s the complete opposite.