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Lena Dirscherl, who is known online as BoPoLena, is an artist and body acceptance activist, and they can perfectly blend the two together.

Recently, BoPoLena has been working on an illustration series dedicated to the male body. More specifically, the struggles that come with it—both internal and external.

"It seems I've struck a nerve with this message: body positivity is not only for women," BoPoLena said. "No, it's for all genders! Men also suffer [from] diet culture and the pressure to look as 'attractive' as possible. But you all are already beautiful! You are great the way you are! You don't need diets or gyms to be worthy! You are already worthy and loved!"

More info: bopolena.com | Instagram | Patreon

BoPoLena started drawing and posting body positive messages every week on Instagram in August 2016. "I realized very quickly that most people assume that body issues, eating disorders and the struggle for acceptance are 'women's issues,'" BoPoLena told Bored Panda.

"[But that] is not true at all! However, that might be the reason why the body positive community online is dominated by white able-bodied heterosexual cis women. Which I think is ironic since the whole movement has its origins in the Fat Acceptance Movement which was led by black women and people of color."

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TheLazyPoki
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

YES. Men crying is deemed too feminine, and that seriously needs to stop. Crying is just a natural thing that people do, and it isn't okay to just bottle up your emotions to seem more like a man. If anything, people should be more feminine if this is what comes of being masculine.

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denzoren
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We don't wear clothes apparently...just drape some tarpaulin and we're good to go.

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BoPoLena isn't the only soldier on the front. In recent years, male celebrities, including Chris Pratt, Ed Sheeran, and Robert Pattinson have been increasingly vocal when it comes to insecurities about their looks.

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And it's been long overdue. Research by psychiatrists at UCLA shows that overall, people nowadays feel worse about the way they look than they did in the 1970s.

The problem concerns not just college guys hitting the gym to try to get a date: around 90 percent of boys in middle and high school exercise at least occasionally with the specific goal of bulking up. It's about time we start speaking about it more.

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ScarlettofHydraIsland
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And neither are the pictures you see on Instagram. Lighting and angles matter, and also, people (like me) tend to suck in their stomachs.

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Ozacoter
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Completely :) We need to encourage men to not be ashamed of bolding. It is a natural process and one that its nobody's fault.

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As you can see, BoPoLena features a very diverse set of characters in their work. "In each of my series, I focus on a different group that hasn't been represented very well in the BoPo community yet. I did an illustration series on men, on non-binary folx, on intersex people and my next series will be on trans people of all genders."

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The artist also plans to tackle disabilities and chronic illnesses in the future but they still need to do more research on these topics. "I'm always in close contact with people of the groups that I try to represent in my art in order to amplify their voices."

BoPoLena says it's their goal to spread body positivity for all people, in all bodies, so that everyone can feel represented in the movement, and if you ask me, they're doing one heck of a job.

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Xottel
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well I have always been skinny (not on purpose, I hated it) and this looks like my best school buddy and me

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Ryan Deschanel
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Really? I'm 5'6 / 171cm tall, so why does everybody hate / reject / despise me because of that?

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Daria B
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A moderate amount of femininity is attractive, to be honest. But tastes vary by individuals anyway, so just try to be comfortable with who you are. If you keep your aesthetics and mannerisms for others, there's always going to be someone who doesn't like you, so not worthy bothering for that.

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Ambar
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

everyone needs emotional support, men need it as much as women!

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Ozacoter
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have always been more attracted to men considered short. As a short woman it just makes more sense.

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Ambar
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

struggles to me are ok and help you grow. having family issues and need to cry that's ok! having money issues and need to cry that's ok! need to vent that's fine!

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Valisbourne Spiritforge
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's just genetics, not whatever standard of "manliness" applies to having a beard.

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Ozacoter
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also most women don't really want a big penis, or at leas the ones I asked about this. We need forplay not a big c**k.

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Ozacoter
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You should only do it if its to make yourself happier.

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Daria B
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know this is specifically referring to intersex people, as explicitly stated within the picture. However, I'd really like to point out how someone's voice - whether it's talking or singing - can really be an amazing charming point that can do wonders to a woman/man's psyche. When talking about attraction, the topics tend to put so much focus on the visual parts of the body, and the voice is often overlooked, but it can be such a strong point sometimes.

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Iggy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Please don't do that. If you want to go, great. If you don't, great.

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Terry Smith
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm really wrestling with this one lately - trying to eat better. Gotta remember it's about being fully nourished rather than controlling facets of my appearance.

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TheLazyPoki
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes. Stretch marks are natural, and I like to think of them as battle scars that show your journey through life. And so is acne and acne scars. Everyone in their life is going to have acne, and some of us have it for longer than others. These are just things that the human body does, and they should always be normalized.

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Karl Baxter
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Now in my 50s I have come to terms with never being able to grow a full beard. Flip side of that is I tend to look a bit younger than my more hirsute peers.

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Ozacoter
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would rephrase this as 'there aren't inherently feminine or masculine things'.

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Ambar
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

your arent alive just to lose weight, pay bills and get girls!

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Ryan Deschanel
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3 years ago

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No, we are not, and everyone reminds us of that fact every f*****g day.

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Sleazy Weaver
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But sometimes it's important to take advice from friends & family if they notice you're not quite yourself. Maybe you're overworking & your loved ones can see how stressed you are. Maybe they were trying to say, "I think it would be better for you if you'd relax this weekend instead of working on that project that's been stressing you out." Don't completely disregard what others have to say, especially those close to you.

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Zebwe
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think we, women have a great role in making this a reality too. Don't laugh (let alone ridicule) when you see a man cry. For example in movies they often make it into a joke, like as if that were to be the funny thing, man crying, hahaha. No need to support that by laughing along...

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Ryan Deschanel
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3 years ago

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Don't give us orders. Are we supposed to remain lonely, rejected, hated and miserable forever? Well, some people need surgery to get out of this pit.

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Ozacoter
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not sure about this one. There isn't a thing as 'not being muscular enough for a man'. But being underweight is a health problem. Anorexia in men is often ignored.

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