The Body is Not an Apology

This book just kept popping up in my social media channels, I couldn’t miss it.  A conversation with a friend about body image in the gay community pushed me over to edge to actually read it;  I’m glad I did.

Sonya Renee Taylor explores the concept of radical self-love and body positivity in this funny and vulnerable book. She argues that society's negative attitudes towards bodies of all shapes and sizes, as well as the pressure to conform to beauty standards, are harmful and prevent people from fully embracing their bodies and living their best lives.

Taylor uses personal stories and anecdotes to illustrate how the cultural norms of body shaming, ableism and fatphobia harm individuals and communities, and she offers practical tools and strategies for cultivating self-love and acceptance.

I especially loved her concept of the “default body”.  That there is some specific body; namely white, athletic, blond, tanned, specifically gendered wearing certain clothing – that we are all pressured to be measured against that no-one can live up to forever.

“The Body Is Not an Apology” continues to stay with me and I dip back into it from time to time.  (I recommend the audiobook to hear Taylor read it with her humour and wisdom).

I continue to mull over questions like: what does “health” look like for me? What is my “authentic” weight?  Is kg’s even a useful measure of my health / worth?  When do I most feel at home in my body?  I’m really grateful to Taylor for giving me a language to explore these questions.

Favourite Quote:

“Radical self-love demands that we see ourselves and others in the fullness of our complexities and intersections and that we work to create space for those intersections.”

Sonya Renee Taylor,