Dove campaign: proud to be me

h ps://www.dove.com/us/en/dove-self-esteem-project/self-esteem-resources-for-youth-
groups/proud-to-be-me.html

bu erfly organisa on campaign with insta : body pride

h ps://bu erfly.org.au/news/bu erfly-and-instagram-combat-body-image-pressures-within-the-

lgbtqia-community-to-promote-body-pride/

Here are some common body image issues faced by the queer community, along with research
cita ons:

Pressure to Conform to Heteronorma ve Beauty Standards:

Research has shown that queer individuals may face pressure to conform to societal beauty
standards that are o en based on heteronorma ve ideals, leading to body dissa sfac on.

Cita on: VanKim, N. A., Erickson, D. J., Eisenberg, M. E., Lust, K., Rosser, B. R. S., & Laska, M. N.
(2017). Differences in weight-related behaviors and a tudes in heterosexual and sexual minority US
college students: A gendered analysis. Journal of American College Health, 65(7), 482-491.

Experiences of Discrimina on and S gma:

Discrimina on and s gma faced by queer individuals can contribute to nega ve body image and
mental health issues.

Cita on: Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Phelan, J. C., & Link, B. G. (2013). S gma as a fundamental cause of
popula on health inequali es. American Journal of Public Health, 103(5), 813-821.

Mental Health and Substance Use:

Research has indicated a link between poor body image and mental health issues, such as depression
and anxiety, among LGBTQ+ individuals.

Cita on: Pucke , J. A., Surace, F. I., Levi , H. M., & Horne, S. G. (2020). Links between body
dissa sfac on and psychological func oning among transgender and gender-nonconforming people:
A longitudinal test of minority stress theory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 67(6), 717-728.

Intersec onality and Mul ple Marginaliza on:

Queer individuals who belong to other marginalized groups (e.g., people of color, trans individuals)
may experience compounding body image issues due to intersec onal discrimina on.

Cita on: Calzo, J. P., Blashill, A. J., Brown, T. A., & Argenal, R. L. (2017). Ea ng disorders and
disordered weight and shape control behaviors in sexual minority popula ons. Current Psychiatry
Reports, 19(8), 49.

Internalized Homophobia and Biphobia:

Some queer individuals may internalize societal prejudices, leading to self-cri cism and nega ve
body image.
Cita on: Wang, K. T., & Raymond, H. F. (2019). Associa on of internalized sexual orienta on and
body dissa sfac on among transgender and cisgender adults. LGBT Health, 6(3), 107-114.

Lack of Representa on:

A lack of posi ve and diverse representa on of queer bodies in media and adver sing can contribute
to feelings of invisibility and inadequacy.

Cita on: Perro , J., & Westwood, S. (2019). Interroga ng the Pink Pound: Representa on and the
Queer Body. Routledge.