Acknowledge and support your fellow rebels, and speak up for those who aren’t confident enough yet to do it for themselves.
Feel empowered knowing that you’re living your truth regardless. You navigate a society that values the thin and the light. You’re pretty! Be kind to yourself and indulge in these moments of self-love. It’s not a trick of the light or a certain angle – it’s you. I’m talking about those days when you catch sight of your reflection, or you take a good selfie, and for a moment you’re taken aback by how handsome you are. It’s easy to develop a negative body image when our culture emphasises certain ‘looks’.Īs a way of opening up the conversation, we spoke with three Australian gay men about the lessons they’ve learnt about their bodies, and body image in general, over the years. We might worry that we’ll never be considered sexy if we don’t have a ‘six-pack’, or if our arms aren’t big enough or our bellies are soft. This can be especially true of the ways in which we relate to our bodies, which for young gay men often feel like the ‘be-all and end-all’ of being accepted and desired. It’s often the case that we don’t realise certain things about ourselves until we’re older.
