So we’ve all been there – looking through Instagram’s hottest men and we enter the dreaded shame spiral.
In a world of superhero movies and perfectly washboard abs plastered on billboards and in magazines, men are suffering from body image issues almost as much as women these days. But amidst the endless #gympics, #thirstythursdays and #flexfridays, there are a few brave and bold body positive men showing social media how it’s done. Men can struggle with body image just as much as women can, and so we need body-positive role models for men now more than ever.
Tituss Burgess
Titus Burgess is best known for his roles on 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and the cabaret star is using every ounce of flair and fame to give body positivity a fabulous new face. His Instagram is brimming with hilarious videos and celebrity selfies, not the least of which is this group shot with Tess Holliday herself.
Matt Joseph Diaz
Matt Diaz became an important – and loud – voice for the body positivity movement when he posted a very vulnerable shirtless video of himself in 2015. In it Matt explained how he had lost 270 pounds over 6 years, leaving him with a significant amount of excess skin. Now with 22.5k followers on Instagram, Matt remains a prominent male voice for body positivity, claiming to be equal parts cheerfulness and “f^&k you haters”.
Steve Martin
Steven Martin (Not to be confused with Steve Martin) is a male plus size model from Germany who is fond of taking selfies in the bathroom mirror.
Less of a gym-rat these days, Steven is carving out a nice modelling career in Germany, the UK and France, and doing his part to promote body positivity and body confidence for men as well as women.
Chubstr
Founded by Bruce Sturgell, Chubstr is a website that is dedicated to plus size men who are looking for fashion that fits. Bruce also believes that fashion is a great way to introduce the ideas of body positivity to men, proclaiming that even those who don’t feel comfortable talking about body image issues can find support in the fashion community.
Michael-Anthony Spearman
Michael-Anthony Spearman describes himself as a “Detroit gent”, and believes that fashion is a “safe” way for men to gain visibility and work on issues around body image. His blog The Big Fashion Guy looks to inspire gentlemen of all sizes, and his Instagram is chock full of photos of him just being incredibly stylish and owning it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRpYWy8lASd/?taken-by=thebigfashionguy
This article first appeared over at our friends – LifeSize magazine.
