We can’t control ignorant cyberbullies, but we can — and will — celebrate when they’re put in their place.
Lesego Legobane, aka “ThickLeeyonce,” is a plus-size model, blogger, photographer and body-positive activist in South Africa. On Tuesday, Twitter user Leyton Mokgerepi used the model’s beach photo to create a sexist meme, pitting her against a photo of another noticeably thinner model.
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“Girls that I like vs Girls that like me,” he captioned the side-by-side image of the ladies in their bathing suits.
Girls that I like vs Girls that like me pic.twitter.com/3TDfKVs7bo
— Leyton Mokgerepi (@imleyton) September 19, 2017
When a follower tagged Legobane in the distasteful tweet, she knew she needed to clap back. The 24-year-old’s burn required only four words: “I don’t like you.”
“I decided to reply because I felt he was being rude,” she told Buzzfeed News, not knowing her clap back would go viral.
I don’t like you https://t.co/91TJ5xypV8
— lee (@ThickLeeyonce) September 19, 2017
In the two days since the model tweeted back at her body shamer, the post has garnered more than 900,000 favorites and nearly 300,000 retweets. Even some celebrities got in on the action; Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and Ava Duvernay faved the body-positive message.
After Legobane’s support picked up in a massive way, Mokgerepi tried to make amends in the best way he could think up: another meme.
This time, the troll used the model’s same swimsuit photo with the text “Girlfriend goals” and a slew of fire emojis. We’re not sure about Legobane’s reaction, but Twitter users did not accept his sort-of apology.
Bwahahaha! Too little too late. Accept yer punishment sir.
— ReallyDon’tTrump (@ReallyDontTrump) September 19, 2017
Mokerepi is still trying to backtrack from his insensitive artwork, telling Huffington Post, “Quite frankly I didn’t mean to denigrate Lesego or body-shame big girls. I’m not about that life. I didn’t mean to make her feel bad about herself.”
And though those four simple words were enough to put her body shamer in his place, Legobane has one more thing to say.
“I hate it when men think that fat girls are desperate and that we like every other guy ’cause ‘we don’t have options,’” she told Buzzfeed News. “It’s utter nonsense.”
“I can be fat and still be out of your league.”
Photo credit: Instagram / @thickleeyonce
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