The Backlash to Instagram’s Ban on #Curvy

Riddle us this: #Skinny, #Fat, and #Thin are okay to use on Instagram, so why will your confidence-boosting pic be banned from search if you use #Curvy? Instagram says they decided to block the word because it was being used for porn and violated the site’s terms of service. But tons of women have found a sense of community through the hashtag over the years, only to see it vanish from search recently.

Besides the fact that this is used as a positive term when it comes to body image, there are a lot of other reasons women are angry at Instagram’s decision. There are still plenty of porn and sex-related hashtags that are available in search, so there is definite confusion as to why this seemingly innocent word was targeted.

Now, body activists and curvy girls alike are using a new string of hashtags to protest the hashtag ban and continue promoting body confidence. Buzzfeed noted that many are sticking with the hashtag #Curvee and building up a new sense of community around that. Here are just a few:

Do you think Instagram should reconsider the ban on this hashtag?

Related:

This Clothing Company Found an Adorable Way to End Size-Shaming

This Model’s Body Image Advice Is Truly Inspiring

How This Teen Pageant Star Refused to Be Fat-Shamed and Went on to Win