The Importance of Body Diversity

We live in a society that constantly tells people with fatter bodies that they don't deserve basic love and respect due to their weight. Many deny that fatphobia exists, even when it finds a way of showing itself everyday, especially with many people favoring skinnier bodies.

Fatphobia, in its simplest terms, is the dislike of fat people. Examples of fatphobia can have a wide variety in how it presents itself. This can fall under the way people with fatter bodies are treated in employment, education, dating/relationships, fashion and even in medicine.

The plus-size community, however, is slowly learning to take up space. It takes time, patience, and confidence to fight to have their voices heard – to stand up against society’s standards and opinions about body proportions. This is why plus-size pool parties can be a great start in building a community, contribute a great deal in showcasing more body diversity, and can be an all round great boost in confidence for plus-size people.

Over the recent years, plus-size pool parties have been gaining a lot of popularity and attention – whether it’s in television shows, such as “Shrill” starring Aidy Bryant of “Saturday Night Live,” which tackles the subject of representation of how we see fat women in the media.

So what exactly is a plus-size pool party? What properties make a plus-size pool party so much more special than just an average party or social gathering? 

To begin, a plus-size pool party is a safe space for plus-size men and women as well as gender non-conforming folks. More specifically, it highlights the people who are excessively excluded from the media, fashion, advertisement, etc.

One of the many plus-size pool parties hosted right here in LA is the one by social media influencer and owner of the clothing brand Big Bottom Behavior, Havala Hidalgo. Every year in Los Angeles, Havala has her own plus-size pool party called, "Big Bottom Bash."

These parties mainly center around encouraging women to embrace their bodies. “Big Bottom Bash” contributes to the positive effects of having a safe space while also surrounding plus-size women with others who look like them, and allowing them to finally feel recognized. It also provides self love workshops and brunch table panels that include conversations from different women of all sexuality and sizes. These include panels on topics relating to fat women that aren't talked about often, such as fat liberation intersecting forms of oppression, and fat positive sexuality.

"We have to begin really celebrating all bodies in the media and making it clear that happy lives exist at any size, color, gender, or sexual orientation," said Carmen Rene, a social media influencer and in special guest attendance of “Big Bottom Bash” since it began over two years ago. Going further into conversation with Rene, she expressed she didn't want another generation of young people growing up and not seeing themselves represented.

Something that “Big Bottom Bash” wants to focus on is that all bodies are worth celebrating. There's no such thing as a perfect body and you have to learn how to celebrate your body in the face of fatphobia. If we really think and try to make sense of it, everybody is different. How can we ever say what a good body is and what a good body isn't?

Going more into this conversation, Rene brought up that not seeing representation can be "toxic and perpetuates this notion that not all bodies are worthy of loving themselves, being loved and finding happiness. Nothing is further from the truth."

While “Big Bottom Bash’s” target audience is plus-size women, you don't have to be plus-size to attend. All women and gender-non-conforming folks can attend and the message isn't to dismantle people who are "thin." With the new world of body positivity, thin people are encouraged to celebrate their bodies as well.

Plus-size pool parties are just one of the many milestones the body positivity movement has to hold under their belt. It provides the representation that everyone deserves to see and feel. If given the chance, everyone should attend and experience a safe and lovable space and truly take in the moments of people loving themselves carefree and accepting themselves as they are.

Illustration by Carolyn Burt