We've come a very long way, but being a woman still comes with its challenges. We're not just talking about gender wage gaps and reproductive rights, we're talking about our bodies and how society is still constantly telling us how to be better–whether it's through magazines, advertising, fashion and even social media. But plus-size model and body positive activist Denise Bidot wants everyone to know there's "No Wrong Way" to be a person and is spreading the word through her movement. The idea is that whether you're a woman, man or transgender, there is no one beauty standard you must aspire to. You can freely be yourself.
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"I've been saying the model there's "No Wrong Way to Be a Woman" for many years. It started to become a hashtag and a lot of people started responding to it," says Denise. "I realized little by little, that it was becoming its own movement. So last year I produced my first shoot and transitioned what was just a hashtag to a full-blown movement."
Denise's movement, which was originally called No Wrong Way to Be a Woman, stirred so much positive engagement, it's expanded into way beyond what she imagined it to be. "I ended up getting a huge amount of support from the LGBTQ community and even had a lot of men who would buy the T-shirts and wanted to get involved," she says. That's actually what inspired her to rename the movement to "No Wrong Way," making it more inclusive to everyone and encouraging individuality.
Her movement includes everything from merch to an Instagram account with over 12.5k followers. The site even has a blog that encourages followers to share their own self-love stories.
"It's really just about letting people know that there's no wrong way to be yourself. Whether you're a man or a woman. It's about living your truth and celebrating your individuality. The goal is create a community where we can all just be free," says Denise.
The gorgeous Puerto Rican and Middle Eastern model, who wears a size 14, has found that the movement has even helped her come into her own. "For every woman, self-love is a journey and it's not always beautiful but it's real," she says. "Some days are better than other days, and I think by launching this movement, I've also allowed myself more freeway to just be myself. For so long I was just a model but now I have a platform. I have a voice."
Denise has been open in the past about how she's trying to instill body positivity and a healthy self-esteem in her young daughter, Joselyn. She's also noticed how much of an impact the movement has had on her. But she emphasizes that speaking to her daughter about body positivity and giving her constant positive affirmations is only just a fraction of the work. It starts with how Denise treats and talks about her own body. "Kids know and understand more than we give them credit for," she says. "I think it's important to be transparent with the issues at hand. It's important to remind your daughter that she's beautiful, she's smart and she's capable, but being kind to yourself also plays a key role on how they view themselves."
Images by Marissa Pina
