ADVOCACY SPEECH

GOOD DAY EVERYONE! I AM HERE TO MAKE A STAND THAT BODY SHAMING WILL NEVER BE OKAY.
NOW, WHAT IS BODY SHAMING? BODY SHAMING IS THE PRACTICE OF MAKING CRITICAL AND
POTENTIAL HUMILIATING COMMENTS ABOUT A PERSON’S BODY SIZE, WEIGHT, OR APPERANCE.
SOME PEOPLE MAY SAY YOU ARE TOO FAT, TOO SKINNY, TOO DARK --- SIMPLE WORDS THAT LEAD
TO KILL A PERSON. I THINK BODY SHAMING HAS BECOME AN ISSUE IN OUR SOCIETY YET OFTEN
NEGLECTED. THIS ACT CAN LEAD TO PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL ISSUES SUCH AS ANXIETY
AND DEPRESSION. IF NOT ADDRESS PROPERLY, DEPRESSION CAN LEAD TO SUICIDE. IF YOU TAKE
INTO ACCOUNT THE CAUSE AND RESULT OF SUICIDE, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DYING BECAUSE OF IT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE THE IDEAL STANDARD OF NORM --- TO BE PHYSICALLY
PERFECT, NO HUMAN FLAWS.
I, FOR INSTANCE, HAD ALREADY EXPERIENCED BODY SHAMING. I FELT ANXIOUS AND INFERIOR OF
HOW I LOOK WHETHER I AM SOCIALLY ACCEPTED OR NOT. THAT IS WHY I COMPLETELY DISAGREE
TO THIS BECAUSE I DO NOT THINK THAT A PERSON SHOULD BE JUDGED BASED ON HIS/HER
APPEARANCE. THAT IS NOT THE ULTIMATE BASIS OF BEAUTY.
PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING SUCH LIKE ME HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE A STRONG
SUPPORT SYSTEM FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS. CONSTANT COUNSELING AND ADVICES FROM
THESE TRUSTED PEOPLE BROUGHT CHANGE IN MY PERSPECTIVE AND HOW VALIDATION MUST NOT
COME FROM OTHERS BUT TRUE ACCEPTANCE TO ONE’S SELF. WE MUST ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND
THAT BEAUTY COMES IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES, COLOR AND STATURE. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY,
REMEMBER THAT TRUE INNATE BEAUTY IS WHAT MAKES US WHOLE AS A PERSON. BEFORE I END
MY SPEECH, LET ME REMIND YOU THAT WE ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO THOSE WHO LOVE US
AND VALUE US REGARDLESS OF HOW WE LOOK FROM THE OUTSIDE BUT WHO WE ARE IN THE
INSIDE.