A vegan blogger who was branded ‘disgusting’ by trolls for not shaving her armpits is defending her decision.
Freelee the Banana Girl (AKA Leanne Ratcliffe) is a raw vegan who has come in for her fair share of criticism in the past.
But her decision to stop shaving is oddly receiving more abuse that her Raw Till 4 propaganda.
She uploaded a photo last month of her unshaved legs saying that she was starting to embrace her ‘true self’ and hoped to inspire other women to do the same.
Then last week, she shared a picture of her hairy armpits.
‘I haven’t shaved my furry armpits in ages now and I love it,’ she wrote.
‘Not only that but I no longer shave my legs, arms, face or pubes. No more cuts, bumps, rashes, wasting time with hot waxes and painful strips or visiting expensive salons.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcBDSWXD-mQ/?taken-by=freeleethebananagirl
‘Best of all I find it really empowering as a female to embrace all my hair and not give a f*ck what the brainwashed mainstream thinks.
‘No more conforming to a ridiculous sexist standard pushed by media to make big $$ and create insecure girls.’
Now…that’s hardly revolutionary.
Plenty of women have turned their backs on their epilators, razors and waxing kits – some even dying their body hair to make it even more noticeable.
And yet Freelee has been completely battered down with negative comments.
Loads of people (notably men) have commented calling her ‘disgusting’ and ‘ugly’.
She’s even been contacted by a laser hair removal company to help her get rid of her nasty hair.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcGkjOiAhnu/?taken-by=freeleethebananagirl
Not that that’s going to stop Freelee from wearing her body hair as she wants.
Instead, she’s shared a few of those negative comments and has clapped back at the haters with a calm, measured response.
And she says that this kind of thing is definitely a gender issue and we shouldn’t treat the taboo around female body hair as anything other than misogyny.
‘It’s a strange world we now live in,’ she writes.
‘I was somewhat surprised and disappointed about the amount of insulting comments coming from men on my hairy armpit post. This IS a gender issue. Let’s remind ourselves that men HAVE ARMPIT HAIR and don’t have any pressure or expectation to shave it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcJCOrdjGWE/?taken-by=freeleethebananagirl
‘The good thing is ladies that your natural body hair will repel these superficial men who can’t handle you being your unapologetic self. You will attract a more confident secure man who will appreciate your decision to embrace your authentic self.’
And her followers are loving it – even if they’re not on that hairy hype.
One writes: ‘You’re beautiful Freelee, pits and all. It’s wrong to judge someone so harshly for something so meaningless. I like to shave, I have friends that don’t. It’s all personal preference, and unlike eating meat it only effects you. Keep up the great work, you’re the reason I went vegan.’
Another says: ‘I think honestly most people just aren’t awake to get this. I BEYOND commend you! If we are born with it, nature designed it to be integral to us. Most people aren’t connected enough to get this in the least.
‘I think most people don’t even know shaving began as a mass movement only last century and for time immemorial women didn’t nor did men expect them to. People who down this and tell you what you should do with your body are low on the self-knowledge scale.
‘It’s truly sad to see everyone thinks hair is dirty when a bushy head of hair is a sign of health. Hair is on every part of the body as an extension of the nervous system helping our body to regulate. You keep doing you.’
Body hair: shave or keep?
Horrible - get it all off!
Meh, I get rid of it because I want to
Only shave/wax in summer
I keep it all and love it
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