Em-URGE-ing Voices

Posts Tagged: Self Love

UNT Love Your Body

In an effort to combat body negativity and shaming, the URGE affiliate chapter at UNT hosted a Love your Body event where they held signs in the plaza with affirming, body positive messages during the day and had a discussion in the evening.

SPF 50 and SSRIs: My Summer of Struggle and Self-Love

I first knew depression ran in my family when I was about thirteen, searching the names printed on my mom’s prescription bottles on the internet to see if any of them could be a substitute for Tylenol. Most of them turned out to be antidepressants and sleep aids, plus a few for nausea and allergies. I put them back, and moved on with the day. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first glance. It explained why she slept so much on weekend afternoons, yet was always able to catch me awake at 3am watching cartoons on a school night. I also remember brushing off the worry with the faux assurance of SSRIs working just like all medicines do: pop the pill with a glass of water, and she should be… Read more »

Stop Telling Me What to Do

This is an open letter to men (and women) everywhere. Stop telling me what to do. I’m so tired of seeing posts all over social media telling women what to do. Stop bullying me and trying to force me into becoming a girl who hates herself. Each comment you make is like a double-edged sword in my side. I don’t need you to tell me that if I wear too much make-up that I’m fake or trying too hard then, in same the breath, tell me that if I’m not wearing any make-up that I’m lazy or don’t try hard enough. Meanwhile, in both cases you make the argument “If only girls could love themselves and appreciate their beauty.” How the hell do you expect us to love ourselves when you’re… Read more »

An open letter: How the Reproductive Justice movement taught me self-love

To anyone who struggles with what they see in the mirror, To anyone who finds themselves avoiding a mirror, To anyone who struggles with self-love, I recently learned I am a huge hypocrite when it comes to self-love. If I see someone tear themselves down, I’ll immediately intervene and do everything I can to reassure them of their worth. But when I look in the mirror, I tear myself down more than anyone. Being a reproductive justice activist, and  a part of URGE, has shown me that. I always knew it was important to help make other people feel good about themselves, but I didn’t see the value in making myself feel good; I thought it made me egotistical. I always told myself that looks didn’t matter anyway. I later… Read more »