#KISSMYFATASS ?? Amy Sheppard

After years of filtering her image to conform, Amy Sheppard posted a raw and unedited photo to her Instagram in January unknowingly igniting a movement

After years of filtering her image to try and conform, Amy posted a raw and unedited photo to her Instagram in January unknowingly igniting a social media movement calling for fans to embrace their real selves.

#KISSMYFATASS is about being unapologetically you, no longer buying into the airbrushed, un-real fantasy that lives on social media.

In one post after another, she set about breaking down stigma about women’s bodies and telling everyone to #KISSMYFATASS if they didn’t like it, and was quickly joined by a cascade of support from women across the world joining in.

The band has gone one step further, launching their new single of the same name and you can watch the video below, filed with Amy’s friends and supporters who have jumped on the #KISSMYFATASS hashtag including, Emma Sheppard, Biggest loser trainer Tiffany Hall, CrossFit expert Kara Saunders, body image activist Taryn Brumfitt and rapper Kaylah Truth to name a few.

#KISSMYFATASS is a big middle finger to unrealistic beauty ideals: a rallying cry for women across the world, kicking back against the online culture of filtering so-called “flaws” and rejecting the toxic ideals promoted on social platforms full of “perfect” highlight reels.

Leading the conversation, Amy proclaimed she was no longer hiding anymore, saying “I’ve spent years trying to hide my flaws, to get the right lighting, the right pose, the right outfits all so I could hide.” Now, she’s embracing herself exactly how she is — a simple statement on paper, but one that’s radical for so many.

“I’m an average-sized 12 woman,” said Amy. “The thing is, I’ve been labelled all throughout my life: “fat”, “too skinny”, “cellulite-y” even “a blob”. Worst of all, I’ve sprayed hate on myself. Sadly, I can’t say I have met a woman who hasn’t done the same.”

#KISSMYFATASS is a big STFU to the beauty standards many of us feel the pressure to live up to; It’s about desensitising everyone to normal features such as cellulite, rolls and scars. It’s about celebrating how beautiful we all are in our own unique ways and most of all it’s about setting an example for women, men, girls and boys about what makes a person truly beautiful… and just a hint: it’s not what you see on the outside.”

Join the conversation at #KISSMYFATASS or buy the single here

This article originally was published in the 51st issue of gcmag

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