image credit: Mariah Aro Sharp @mightymooseart
Dear Beloved Reader,
Thank you for being part of the Ravishly community we hold so dear.
There seems to be some confusion around the Ravishly stance on body image and wellness. I’m here to answer some questions and hopefully provide some clarity for you.
What is our mission?
Our tagline is “because life is easier when you’re not alone,” and every Ravishly staffer believes and lives this motto.
First and foremost, we seek to support people in their lives and individual experiences. We recognize that experiences and perspectives differ, from people trying to combat health issues to folks just trying to survive. We recognize that folks won’t necessarily agree, and may sometimes even vehemently disagree.
We recognize that the human experience is varied and complicated.
What is body positivity/acceptance at Ravishly?
What it is: Body positivity is loving, accepting, and caring for your body in whatever capacity you are personally able.
What it is not: Judgments about the bodies/health of others.
Examples of this: We Need To Stop Policing Body Positivity
What about fat acceptance?
Fat acceptance is not the same as body acceptance — in fact, bopo was borne from fat acceptance (which actually started in the 60s). Fat acceptance expands further than just being "body positive" to include the experiences of fat folks in particular. These experiences differ from those of straight-sized humans and as such, deserve their own space for discussion.
Examples of this: How Mamamia's Treatment Of Roxane Gay Reveals The Fatphobia In Feminist Spaces
Take The Cake: Don't Let Anyone Make You Feel Ashamed Of Your Body
What do we support?
We support the perspectives of all folks who are seeking wellness and balance. Not all of these folks will agree. People are all different; that is expected.
Example of this: What Is A Ketogenic Diet? And Should You Try It?
What do we not support?
We do not support choices that endanger the health of an individual or community. This includes eating disorders and other disordered behavior. We DO support folks in their recovery from these disorders in whatever way possible.
Example of this: 9 Disordered Eating Practices You Thought Were Normal
What is health?
We recognize that health looks different for different folks at different stages of life. Health is physical, emotional, and mental, and encompasses a variety of experiences.
Example of this: Oprah, Body Acceptance, Weight: It's Complicated AF
♦♦♦
Our primary goal as a team and site is to support our readers. We offer information, inspiration, and love.
I’ve been at Ravishly for over three years; in that time, we’ve grown and changed a lot, both from our original vision, and even within our current one.
We are always evolving and learning because we believe that’s the best way to live. We will continue to evolve and learn as long as we exist. We are editors and social media folks and payroll people and artists and writers, but before that, we are humans — confused and questioning, flawed and fantastic humans.
We try to make space for everyone at our table, and as a result, that table is loud, boisterous, and sometimes contradictory. We like it that way, but we understand if that's too overwhelming or messy for other people.
We hope your vision of a community aligns with ours, but sometimes it won’t, and that’s okay.
In love and solidarity,
Joni Edelman, editor-in-chief
And the rest of the Ravishly staff
If you have further questions, you may email me at joniedelman@ravishly.com. Please do keep in mind that I receive a hundred (or more) emails a day, so it may take some time for me to get back to you.
