Leah V (@Ivernon2000) Leah is a Muslim feminist writer. Her no holds barred approach is something to behold. View this post on Instagram Today I woke up tied. Not tired. Tied. I have to prep for my trips to San Fran and LA this week. I’ll be at a Meet & Greet with @wearemalikah on Thur and presenting at the @deyoungmuseum on Friday then heading to LA on Saturday. I don’t ever respond to hatred because I’m busy and it doesn’t do any good. But, today this message irked me to my core. There’s so much wrong with this person. “If you really want to fight for women become an engineer or something that is hard for women to succeed in…” (Swipe 👉🏽 for the rest) When I read this I literally exploded. Something that is hard? She’s telling me about hardship!?! You are telling a Fat, Black, Muslim body about freakin hardship? Do you know how hard it is to be in a space that supports white/light skin women, thin women? Women who live in New York and LA, women who have over 100k followings? Women who are already privileged? Women who have never had to deal with Islamophobia? I’ve been doing this since 2013. Lowkey, before 2013. I’ve been used and let down and left to dry. I’ve been called fat, ugly, worthless. Looked down upon and rejected. Told I’d never amount to anything. I’ve worked my ass off to be standing here. I 👏🏾deserve👏🏾 to 👏🏾be 👏🏾where👏🏾 I’m 👏🏾at! Yes, she’s a troll but she made me cry because I’m not just taking pretty pictures and I’m human. I am not just another influencer. I put the work in. Always have and always will. What I do is important. Periodt *tongue pop* How do you not allow hurtful comments to hurt your feelings? Why do women tear down other women? Have you experienced this? Let’s chat. 📸 @plusequals MUA: @headblushglitta #detroitblogger #psootd #plussize #instafashion #bodypositive #bgki #effyourbeautystandards #portraitphotography #pizzasisters4lyfe #stopbullying #blackgirlswhoblog #londonblogger #psfashion #muslimgirl #fatacceptance #seventeen #selflove #turbanista #honormycurves #bodydysmorphia #instabeauty #intersectionalfeminism #fashionblogger #eatingdisorderrecovery #editorial #hijabi #modestfashion #monochromatic #makeup #womenempowerment A post shared by Leah V (@lvernon2000) on Nov 14, 2018 at 2:30pm PST View this post on Instagram Disrespectful User 6379 sends me a photo of myself and says, “…We (I) don’t need to give a bad image of the religion Islam.” User 6379, you 👏🏾will👏🏾not👏🏾shame👏🏾me👏🏾into👏🏾submission👏🏾 You will not shame me into being the kind of person you want me to be. You will not shame me into the body you think I should have. You will not shame me into being the type of Muslim you want me to be, you think I should be. For the first 3 years of blogging, I concealed the fact that I was Muslim. Because I hadn’t wanted to tarnish the perfect pastel Hijabi wearing light-skinned Arab image. I didn’t belong there. Because of people like this who would judge me. Scold me. Word vomit me into submission. Until, I got tired of being overlooked and unseen. I belong just as much as your fellow stereotypical Muslim influencer. Periodt 👏🏾 I’m not the poster child for Islam. I’m not the face of Islam. I am Muslim. I am Black. I am fat. I am many things. Sometimes, I am modest. And sometimes, I am not. I am one small view into what Islam in America looks like. Have you ever been shamed into submission? Made to feel bad about who you are? Also, I know I’ll be getting more messages like this, so what’s an appropriate response to this type of behavior? Let’s chat. 📸 @victoriakaempfe #detroitblogger #psootd #plussize #instafashion #bodypositive #bgki #effyourbeautystandards #portraitphotography #pizzasisters4lyfe #blackgirlswhoblog #londonblogger #psfashion #blackgirlmagic #muslimgirl #islamophobia #fatacceptance #seventeen #selflove #turbanista #honormycurves #bodydysmorphia #instabeauty #intersectionalfeminism #fashionblogger #eatingdisorderrecovery #editorial #hijabi #modestfashion #islam #monochromatic A post shared by Leah V (@lvernon2000) on Nov 11, 2018 at 10:20am PST View this post on Instagram Muslim Women’s rights are human rights. I had to process this experience before I shared. And, I think it’s more important now that two Muslim women have been elected to Congress. I’ve flown all over the world with my hijab on. My hijab is on in my passport. Im a Hijabi. Doesn’t matter if it’s in a turban style or traditional style. Going through customs, the woman motioned for me to take my hijab off and place it in the bin. I told her that I would not because of religious purposes. She kept motioning me to remove my hijab and place it in the bin. She would not let me advance so I could make my flight. They were already boarding. By this time, my voice is raising. “I am Muslim! I’m keeping it on!” Still, she wouldn’t let me pass. In complete distress, I thought about taking my hijab off and tossing it inside that gray bin with the rest of my things. To conform. To fit it. To appease her. I shook my head. I’d rather miss my whole ass flight than take my hijab off for some bull shit. I decide when it’s on and when it’s off. Finally, I waved another worker down. And he allowed me through. At the gate, I was in tears while speaking to the manager. “I told her that she could pat it down but still she refused to let me through.” “Well, we don’t have many Muslims pass through here a lot,” he replied. 🤦🏾♂️ “Would a nun be asked to take her head dress off?” “No, that’s religious.” “And, so is mine,” I said wiping my tears. We got so much work to do y’all. Have you ever been racially or religiously profiled? How’d that make you feel? How’d you handle it? Anyone can share. 📸 @edmonds.photo #detroitblogger #psootd #plussize #instafashion #bodypositive #bgki #blackandabroad #honormycurves #effyourbeautystandards #pizzasisters4lyfe #blackgirlswhoblog #fashion #londonblogger #psfashion #blackgirlmagic #muslimgirl #plusmodel #wiw #intersectionalfeminism #turbanista #monochrome #bodydysmorphia #fatacceptance #islamophobia #fallfashion #modestfashion #streetstyle #hijabi A post shared by Leah V (@lvernon2000) on Nov 7, 2018 at 12:32pm PST
