10 fotos de um instagramer gay para inspirar você a amar seu corpo

O influenciador do Instagram Mina Gerges viralizou em 2015 por suas divertidas recriações de fotos de moda artística de divas e celebridades. Na maioria delas, ele se vestiu como Beyoncé, Rihanna e Kim Kardashian, mas muitas vezes com uma fatia de pizza acentuando seu corpo cheio de curvas. Agora, em em recente entrevista para a Paper magazine, Gerges, de 23 anos, revela que a fama atraiu comentários homofóbicos e perturbadores sobre o corpo que o obrigaram a desativar sua conta por oito meses. Mas agora ele está de volta e está contra a vergonha do corpo gay, um problema prevalecente na plataforma de compartilhamento de fotos (e na comunidade LGBT em geral). “Na adolescência, nunca vi homens que se pareciam comigo em revistas ou filmes, então eu sempre me senti invisível”, diz Gerges. “Estamos acostumados a ver representações de homens que estabelecem padrões impossíveis e implicam que os únicos homens que têm direito a ser considerados atraentes e que são vistos pelo público são brancos e magros”.

How everyone's working on their summer bod vs. how I'm working on mine ??? Tag a friend ? #MinaGerges #KatyPerry #BonAppetit

A post shared by Mina Gerges (@itsminagerges) on May 28, 2017 at 11:56am PDT

Gerges diz que aos 20 anos, desenvolveu um transtorno alimentar – algo que afeta a comunidade LGBT em taxas mais altas que a população em geral — e começou a passar três horas por dia na academia, correndo 10 quilômetros todos os dias olhando para uma foto de um homem com barriga sarada. “Isso me deixa triste em pensar sobre o quanto eu puni o meu corpo e me odiei por minha incapacidade de me ver como eu era de fato”, diz ele.

How fierce is my new towel bathing suit? ? @mileycyrus #minagerges

A post shared by Mina Gerges (@itsminagerges) on Mar 5, 2015 at 12:35pm PST

De fato, um estudo de 2017 descobriu que os homens gays e bi que assistem muita pornografia gay (recheadas de corpos musculosos idealizados) tendem a experimentar mais ansiedade e insatisfação corporal. De outubro de 2015 a junho de 2016, ele desativou sua conta para um tratamento de saúde mental. Mas agora ele está de volta no centro das atenções para compartilhar sua história de recuperar sua saúde e corpo.

I turn 23 today and I want to share a very personal journey with all of you. I've struggled with my body image and weight my whole life, growing up bombarded by unrealistic images of men with sculpted bodies all over magazines and billboards. I always wanted to look like them, thinking that was the only way I could be considered attractive. After these recreations went viral 3 years ago, I started to struggle with my mental health, and began seeking comfort in food. I put on a lot of weight (I love pizza, as you may already know). Gaining this weight never made me hate my body, but the online bullying I experienced took a huge toll on me. People commented on my photos everyday calling me fat and ugly, making fun of my stretch marks and love handles, commenting things like "wow you used to be hot what happened to you" as if I wasn't a real person who was impacted by these cruel words. It ruined my self esteem. I would get anxious before logging on because I knew I would see a hateful comment that'll ruin my day. I stopped going out in public because I was afraid people in real life were secretly disgusted by my body. I remember looking in the mirror before going out one night and literally breaking down crying because I couldn't stop thinking about people's mean comments. I deactivated this account for almost a year (October 2015 – June 2016) because I needed a mental health break and needed to regain my confidence, knowing that so many of you look up to me for that. Losing almost 60 pounds from Feb to September this year wasn't about one picture looking "better" – it was about learning to love my body and embrace that it's different. These stretch marks (and whatever else people bullied me for) are a reminder of my journey towards self love and my triumph over several eating disorders and body dysmorphia. I loved my body in the "before" picture and after this long struggle with loving what I see in the mirror despite being bullied for my body, here's to making 23 the year of self-love & body positivity ??

A post shared by Mina Gerges (@itsminagerges) on Sep 19, 2017 at 3:51pm PDT

Ele perdeu quase 30 quilos de fevereiro a setembro de 2016, não para se tornar mais “atraente”, mas para abraçar uma vida mais saudável. E ele está tentando abraçar suas estrias e curvas para os outros homens gays que também estão lutando com questões de imagem corporal. “[A vergonha do corpo] filtra o tipo de atitude que as pessoas têm quando escrevem “sem gorduras sem mulheres” em seu bios de aplicativos de namoro, e é evidente quando você vê os Instagays que postam fotos sem camisa para seus milhares de seguidores que idolatram seus corpos”, ele diz. “Espero que, como comunidade, possamos ensinar e aprender a lidar com problemas de atitude que muitos de nós simplesmente normalizamos para nos sentirmos mais incluídos”.  

Confira as fotos sensacionais de Mina Gerges e sua luta contra a vergonha do corpo:

This is the scariest yet most empowering post I've ever made. I’ve struggled with my weight and body image my whole life. I grew up surrounded by unrealistic pictures of men and women that convinced me that I have to look like that to be considered attractive and desirable. Especially as gay men, where unfortunately so many of us struggle with achieving that unrealistic standard to feel beautiful. Trying to achieve this made me develop an eating disorder when I was 20 – I would starve myself, weight myself every morning, spend 3 hours at the gym and ran 10km every day, and hated myself if I ate something “unhealthy”, and still, never found happiness or satisfaction. Now at 23, I’m finally confident and comfortable in my skin, and she’s glowing ✨ The stretch marks and love handles I was bullied for are the very thing I feel empowered by now. I know I’ll never look like the dudes we see in billboards and fashion ads, and that’s okay because I’m still cute AF with my cute little belly and squishyness. Learning self love and being confident is such a beautiful thing, and I’m so lucky to be able to have this platform to share it with you guys. ❤️

A post shared by Mina Gerges (@itsminagerges) on Feb 19, 2018 at 3:28pm PST

When he says he loves cake ??? Tag your bae to let them know what's up for Valentine's Day ?#KylieJenner #MinaGerges

A post shared by Mina Gerges (@itsminagerges) on Feb 8, 2017 at 1:23pm PST

Update from my maternity photoshoot! Counting my blessings, not my calories ?? Tag a friend! #Beyoncé #MinaGerges

A post shared by Mina Gerges (@itsminagerges) on Feb 2, 2017 at 3:37pm PST

Me watching the #vmas this weekend: "yaaaas @mileycyrus slaaaaay" ? I'll be posting 2 more of her red carpet looks during my takeover of @huffpostcastyle! Stay tuned ?? #VMA2015 #minagerges

A post shared by Mina Gerges (@itsminagerges) on Sep 1, 2015 at 9:44am PDT

Katy Perry x Moschmina ?? @katyperry @moschino #minagerges

A post shared by Mina Gerges (@itsminagerges) on Jun 16, 2015 at 11:06am PDT

watering the garden on this beautiful spring afternoon ?? @nickiminaj #minagerges

A post shared by Mina Gerges (@itsminagerges) on May 3, 2015 at 12:30pm PDT

Have you ever gotten ketchup in your butthole? I have ?? Feeling like a giant French fry ? There's been so much negativity this week, tag someone who needs a pick-me-up! ? #minagerges

A post shared by Mina Gerges (@itsminagerges) on Nov 11, 2016 at 2:00pm PST

Já sofrei esse tipo de transtorno? Conta pra gente nos comentários.