10 Pics From a Sexy Gay Instagrammer Who Wants Queer People to Embrace Their Stretch Marks

Instagram influencer Mina Gerges first went viral in 2015 for his hilarious recreations of celebrity divas’ artistic fashion photos. In most of them, he posed and dressed seductively like Beyoncé, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian, but often with a slice of pizza accentuating his curvy bod. Now, in a recent interview with Paper magazine, 23-year-old Gerges reveals the fame attracted homophobic and body-shaming commenters who compelled him to deactivate his account for eight months. But now he’s back and pushing back against gay body shame, an issue prevalent on the photo sharing platform (and in the LGBTQ community in general).

“Growing up, I never saw men who looked like me in magazines or in movies, so I always felt invisible,” Gerges says. “We’re used to seeing representations of men that set up impossible standards and imply that the only men who are entitled to being considered attractive and being seen by the public are white and thin.”