Kevvie is a trans woman and drag performer who uses she/her pronouns. We met recently at the summer line release for Rebirth Garments. I had secretly been following her for a long time thanks to my other friend and drag king Luka Ghost but she still doesn’t know that. Her spunk and energy made this session go by fast. She is incredibly talented and poses herself with such precision. I loved this set and I hope you enjoy what she had to say about body positivity. I really resonated with her messages. Shout out to Sky from Rebirth Garments for lending us some stylish lingerie for this shoot!

-Ez


How would you rate your daily self esteem from 1-10?
I’d say on average my self esteem is 8-10. I’m very confident in my appearance, and while I’m aware other people may have what it takes to recognize my beauty, I can see it and that’s what matters. If I can quote two of my favorite queens from drag history, “I am beautiful and I know I’m beautiful!” and “I’m so fucking beautiful I can’t stand it myself!”

What goes into that number?
I know my body is amazing. Because most people don’t see it that way I also had to develop a good personality to compensate. Sure, that may sound cocky, but it’s radical as hell for a fat person to be confident and cocky!

What is your favorite body part(s)?
My favorite body part(s) are my rainbow tattooed stretch marks! More than any part of my body, they make a radical statement about body positivity. Too many people struggle with accepting their stretch marks, so I decided to get mine tattooed bright rainbow colors! Now when people see my stretch marks they can’t help but see that they are beautiful, which will hopefully help it click for them that stretch marks aren’t inherently bad and can be a genuine source of beauty.

How has becoming a model impacted your self-esteem?
Becoming a model really helped my self-esteem. For most of my life I hated my body. Part of this was not understanding I was trans, but it was also because I was constantly told that I was too fat. I was inspired by that quote, “be the change you want to see in the world,” so I figured if I wanted to see more bodies like mine celebrated in the media that I had to be the one to do it. It was really hard at first because I was so ashamed of my body and afraid of what people would think. As I did it more often, I became more confident in my appearance, and now I love how I look.

What type of self care do you incorporate into your weekly schedule?
I find Pokemon Go to be a great form of self-care. Being disabled walking can cause me pain, which means I tend to sit around more than I should. Pokemon Go motivates me to leave the house and get physical activity. My other self care obsession is Lush. Anyone who knows me, knows I am obsessed with Lush products. I love Lush because of what they stand for as well as the effectiveness of their products. When I can afford it I like to use Pink Peppermint foot lotion. It makes my feet soft and moisturized and reduces swelling and pain. Movis facial soap is a scrubby slice of bread that makes my face feel smooth and supple. When my pain is bad, simple hygiene can be hard for me, so products like these really help me take care of myself. (One of my favorite things to do is help people pick out the right Lush products for their skin or hair, so lemme know if you’re ever looking for something! Also my birthday is on Friday so if anyone wants to get me something I’d love a Lush gift card!)

What is something that has negatively impacted your self-esteem?
God, I hope she doesn’t see this, but my mother. I have so much weight related trauma because of her. She was always concerned about her weight, and would do every fad diet she could think of. However, if she was on a diet, so was the rest of the household. I was put on Atkins at 5 years old because I was too fat. I wasn’t though, I was a five year old! She was a victim to the BMI chart and forced that harmful mentality on me. I almost ran away from home because she made me feel so terrible about my size. What’s even worse is looking back at pictures of myself when I was younger. Even in high school, I was so tiny! But because a stupid number on an imaginary and broken chart labeled me “obese” my body was inherently wrong. I wish I could have loved myself and my body then the way I do now. I didn’t deserve to be treated that way. 8. Honestly, fake it till you make it. I know how hard it is to accept your body; show it off anyway. Pretend you love what you see in the mirror, and continue to do so till you’re no longer pretending.

What is body positivity to you?
Body Positivity is the radical acceptance of queer/nonconforming bodies. Body positivity is more than just saying fat people are beautiful. It’s advocating for larger seats on airplanes. It’s installing wheelchair accessibility in a way that is intentional and effective, not merely an afterthought. It’s shaming people for the quality of their character rather than the size of their genitals. Body positivity is fierce activism to make the world a safer place for bodies like yours and mine.

What advice do you have for the readers?
Honestly, fake it till you make it. I know how hard it is to accept your body; show it off anyway. Pretend you love what you see in the mirror, and continue to do so till you’re no longer pretending.