Body Policing

Body policing is the practice of judging, criticizing, or trying to control other people's bodies against narrow standards of size, appearance, or gender expression. In LGBTQ+ communities it shows up in many forms, from sizeism and ageism in dating culture to scrutiny of whether trans and non-binary people look "convincing" enough in their gender. It also appears when others comment on someone's weight, grooming, muscle, or presentation as if they had a right to. Body policing causes real harm, feeding shame, anxiety, and disordered eating. Queer body-liberation movements push back by affirming that all bodies are valid and that no one owes anyone a particular appearance.