We were so glad to see the #mermaidthighs trend take off a few weeks ago, and now, we’re loving yet another body positive hashtag celebrating women’s thighs: #thighsforjeaux.
According to the Huffington Post, the hashtag got started in South Africa back in March 2015 when a 21-year-old Twitter user named Mixo, who goes by @Mijeaux, told her followers that they shouldn’t be afraid to bare their thighs when it’s hot out, sharing a photo of her own thighs. The tweet soon took off with many other South African women, particularly black women, embracing their thighs on social media — showing cellulite, hair, dimples, scars, and other “imperfections.” Mixo — who has now changed her Twitter name to “thigh ambassador” — continued sharing thigh love with the hashtag #thighsforjeaux and saw the trend become more popular in January 2016.
Fast forward a few months, and the hashtag has made it to the US, spiking on Twitter last week. Thanks to the “thigh gap” trend — as well as street harassment and the shaming of women who don’t have thighs that conform to a certain standard — this particular body part can be a source of insecurity for many, and we’re so glad to see people of all shapes, ages, races, and sizes celebrating their thighs!
“I’ve experienced street harassment because I was wearing something short and that resulted in me completely avoiding showing my thighs because I don’t want to risk harassment. But I also said that whoever is upset about it would just have to deal with it. Something else that motivated me to do the hashtag is how often people are judged for showing their thighs, especially if their thighs are deemed imperfect by societal standards. I wanted to use the hashtag to problematise these attitudes towards our bodies,” Mixo told Marie Claire South Africa.
“I really just wanted to have an intersectional, judgement-free and body positive platform. I also wanted everyone participating to feel free, unashamed, and have fun when sharing photos of themselves,” she added.
We’re with her. #thighsforjeaux! See more photos below:
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