As someone who has long existed at the intersection of the Queer/LGBTQIA+ and Body Liberation communities, I have had the privilege of first-hand witnessing the powerful energy that is created when these two worlds collide. For years, I've personally navigated the complex landscape where my Queer identity meets my journey of body love, neutrality, and acceptance. I have learned so many invaluable lessons over the years from both communities.

But what I have found to be the most powerful are the humans telling their own stories and paving the way forward in this world who exist at the intersection of these identities–their work is legendary. Their voices are actively and continuously changing the narrative around bodies, identity, and loving ourselves as we are.

Today, I am super excited to share with y’all some of the accounts that have inspired, challenged, and educated me throughout. These are just a few of the voices that blend LGBTQIA+ advocacy with body liberation principles, creating content that resonates with those of us who exist within both. These accounts are not only empowering and educating but wholly necessary in today's world.

@heysharonmaxwell – Sharon Maxwell | Educator & Weight Inclusive Consultant (she/they)

What I love about Sharon’s account is that she is unapologetically fat and upfront about her work in the body positive space. She may be quieter at times about her personal recovery or journey but never hesitates to share it when it feels relevant or needed in conversation. She is one of the leading forces around making the eating disorder community and care more fat affirming–and led the charge against the National Eating Disorder Association’s failure to represent the ED community well.

One of my favorite posts from Sharon is: Fat Joy is to be Celebrated

@divinebrujeria – Jude | Photographer & Self-Expansion Coach (she/they)

What I love about Jude’s account other than just the purely stunning visuals is that Jude constantly reiterates that they exist here on the internet for empowering fat, beautiful babes of all sizes, genders, and abilities. They aren’t just for one type of person and that no matter where their work takes them that will always be at the forefront of why they do what they do. 

One of my favorite posts from Jude is: There’s No Weight Limit in Boudoir Photography

@jordallenhall – Jordan Underwood | Model and Activist (they/he)

What I love about Jordan’s account is that they are so diverse in what they do and what they bring to the internet. They never apologize for their beliefs or content if it’s not what people expect from them. They are openly Queer and openly fat and gay. When they went through the hardest part of their lipedema journey this year they shared it so that others may be more educated and aware of what lipedema is and what medical fat bias can lead to in terms of medical malpractice.

One of my favorite posts from Jordan is: Intentional Weight Loss is Not A Body Positive Act

@samdylanfinch – Sam Dylan Finch | Writer and Creative (he/they)

What I love about Sam’s account is that they are educational and also personable. They share a lot about their own personal story and struggles in their content while also educating and meeting others where they are at. They are vocal about rights and acceptance of fat people as well as making eating disorder treatment more aggressively fat affirming. They are also not afraid to take up space and be Queer, be fat, be neurodivergent and they share about all of those subjects.

One of my favorite posts from Sam is: I will not be pursuing intentional weight loss

@alyseruriani – Alyse Ruriani | Art Therapist and Artist (she/they)

What I love about Alyse’s account is first and foremost her art. Everything they create is so beautiful and full of life even when it is clear that Alyse is going through a rough time or struggling with things like PMDD. I am always learning from and gaining knowledge from Alyse’s artwork and content. She too is not afraid to make her feelings and thoughts known and does so in a variety of artistic mediums and platforms. 

One of my favorite posts from Alyse is: A Beautiful Day to be Gay

@radiantlygolden – Ashton McGrady | Creator and Disability Advocate (she/her)

What I love about Ashton’s account is that they are making content that not many other people are making, which is content that is disability focused, body liberation focused, and queer focused. They also represent a woefully overlooked community of larger people with service dogs. In her content she is often advocating for people in all types of bodies and with different levels of ability to have access to better medical care and more accessible venues.

One of my favorite posts from Ashton is: You’re Not a Burden

@thebodyactivists – Serena Nangia | Body Activist and Advocate (she/her)

What I love about Serena’s account is that she is very vocal within the eating disorder recovery community about how we can make that community embrace body liberation and fat activism better. Not only that, but she is also a loud advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community who faces substandard care in eating disorder treatment centers as well and she’s shared her own experiences through this lens as well. She is constantly pushing us to do better and educating on these topics through her content.

My Favorite post/series from Serena is: The World is Hard Enough for Fat People

Final Thoughts on LGBTQIA+ and Body Liberation Crossover Accounts

As we wrap up this journey through some of my favorite LGBTQIA+ and body liberation crossover accounts, I'm reminded of the incredible power that lies in representation and community. These accounts, and others like them, do much more for us than provide [amazing and needed] content; they work to create spaces where individuals can see themselves reflected, validated, and celebrated.

Following these accounts and getting to know some of these creators has not only broadened my perspective beyond belief but has also reinforced the idea that our identities – be it our sexuality, gender, body, or more – are intrinsically intertwined and equally worthy of love and respect. They remind us that the fight for equality and acceptance spans across multiple fronts, and that by supporting each other, we do become stronger.

I am encouraging each of you to go through and follow, explore, engage with these accounts and hopefully you will discover some new voices that speak to your own experiences. Remember, the journey towards self-acceptance and societal change is long and ongoing. Having a supportive community – even a digital one – can make all the difference.

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If you're looking for other articles I've written for QueerPsych, you can find them here! Or, if you want to talk more about this topic, I'd be happy to chat with you in my DMs on Instagram. You can find me at @thefriendineverwanted.