Women's bodies change with age. It is high time society accepts it. Rather than bullying women for getting fatter or thinner, society needs to understand that they are humans whose bodies cannot remain the same. Pointing out this simple fact, a woman anchor gave a fitting reply to body-shamers. Leslie Horton, an anchor and traffic reporter for Global News Calgary, slammed an email that questioned her whether she was pregnant. She rightly said, "That's how women of her age look."
Leslie Horton was ready with her new traffic report when she slammed this email sender on air. The email said, "Congratulations on your pregnancy; if you’re going to wear old bus driver pants, you have to expect emails like this." To this, Horton replied, "No, I’m not pregnant. I actually lost my uterus to cancer last year, and this is what women of my age look like. So, if it’s offensive to you, that is unfortunate. Think about the emails you send."
Horton battled cancer
In an exclusive interview with Global News, she said that it was mean to send pregnancy messages to a woman who has lost her uterus. "It was meant to shame me, to humiliate me, to embarrass me. And I found my line and I said, ‘No, you may not know."
Horton said, "I had no plans to address the nasty email online, I put it aside and prepared for my next traffic report as usual, but as I started my traffic hit those words just came out of my mouth … didn’t plan them, rehearse them, know I was going to say them … they just came from my heart."
She further added that this particular emailer has been sending her messages for four years now. But till now she planned to ignore it.
Praise is pouring in for Horton. People are impressed by the calm and authentic reply to the body-shamer. And I applaud her too.
Why her reply is inspiring
I am one such woman too who is body-shamed regularly. I gained a lot of weight after starting my medications for Bipolar Disorder. Since then, whoever meets me asks the same question-"You look fat. Why don't you exercise?"
Although I haven't found any fitting reply to those questions, I am inspired by how Horton handled the shamer. Her reply should educate people about the bodies of women. It rightly points out that women's bodies change- with age or illness. It is just not right to expect women to 'be in shape' all the time.
The reason behind expecting women to manage their weight is the unrealistic body standards. Society expects to always look good. A woman's viability is often decided by her body shape. If a woman is too thin or too fat, she is ugly. If a woman has a big pelvis, only then she can have a healthy baby (yes I am referring to the dialogue in the movie Animal). Moreover, I have personally received this comment. While for some my body is too fat to look good or get married, for others it is just right to give birth to a healthy baby. While I have no plans on marriage or pregnancy, society has already decided what is better for me.
What is too thin or too fat? What defines 'just the right body shape of women? Nothing. Every body shape is beautiful. It is time we accept it.
Views expressed are the author's own.
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