Plus-Size Model’s Fans Rally Around Her After She’s Fat-Shamed: ‘She’s Absolute Goals’

Gabriella Lascano is a self-made Instagram model who is no stranger to body shaming. As a plus-size blogger, she experiences harsh reactions to her size both online and in person. But when a photo of hers was re-posted on popular Instagram account the Shade Room on Saturday, it became the perfect lesson on how to overcome the hate. Lascano was hated on, but her fans would not stand for it.

The Shade Room’s account has more than 9.8 million followers, tens of thousands of whom commented on Lascano’s photo. While many of those comments were hurtful — calling her “piggy” and talking about her fat — Lascano’s fans spoke up in her defense.

One fan of the blogger, Taylor Blake, tweeted, “Who raised y’all??” with a screenshot of the hateful comments she was responding to on behalf of Lascano. Blake’s clap back ended up triggering an outpouring of support for the curvy lifestyle guru. Blake later followed up by tagging Lascano in a tweet that read, “I hope you’re able to see these kind words from women who think you’re so beautiful, not all of us are hateful!!”

The last tweet prompted a response from Lascano, which she told Yahoo Style was a part of her tactic to stay positive.

“I try so hard to pay attention to only the positive,” she says. “I’ll go on pages, like Fashion Nova, Shade Room, World Star, wherever it is that I’m being re-posted, where there’s thousands of people saying horrible things, and I will go through the comments and I’ll like the positive comments. I will say thank you to as many people as possible who are saying positive things because I want people to see my confidence through all of that negativity.”

The blogger admits that it’s easier to ignore hostile comments when they’re online and says that in person it’s another story.

“The issues that I face as far as shaming come more in real life where people stare at me or laugh at me. People will talk about me right in my face, and that’s where I find it more difficult,” she explains. “People think it’s just social media, but it’s serious.”

Lascano once feared she would never break into modeling, but she says that social media gave her the ability to make her “own lane.” Now, she believes she’s doing “God’s work,” by empowering those who don’t have her level of self-esteem.

“I am uplifting people who have issues with depression, who go through severe insecurities, who go through times where they are hopeless and feel ugly and hated. These are people that go through things because they don’t see themselves, they’re not represented, they don’t feel love, they have low self-esteem. And I feel like I am here to help those people.”

By presenting an image of an empowered plus-size female, Lascano recognizes that she is opening herself up to a number of opinions. But she never lets those who support her go unnoticed.

“In a world where there’s so much negativity and so many people saying horrible things all the time, I think it’s important to highlight the positivity and appreciate people who don’t know you and are taking time to say something positive about you,” she says.

There are certainly a number of people who have something positive to say in defense of the blogging beauty.

Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:

• Ashley Graham Shows the Best Bathing Suit Hack for Women With Bigger Chests

• Male Plus-Size Instagrammer Wants Men to Be Included in the Body-Positive Movement

• Plus-Size Blogger Has the Best Revenge for Those Who Called Her ‘Fat, Ugly’
  

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