Mariel de Leon sees the beauty (and bravery!) in being ‘confidently curvy’

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeSEp5gg1YY/?taken-by=mariaangelicadl

As beauty queens represent women and their country, they are subject to exacting standards on their physical attributes and how they best express their thoughts on the world stage.

Unfortunately, it still doesn’t exempt them from bullying or body-shaming, as Mariel de Leon revealed in a social media post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgJO7eUAZeZ/?taken-by=mariaangelicadl

The statuesque beauty shared a picture of herself laughing while in a gown and wearing her Bb. Pilipinas International 2017 sash.

“I know I look unflattering in that photo,” she wrote. “But you know what? I don’t care. I am proud of the woman I am today and nothing will ever shake my confidence and my love for myself.”

She said, “I’ve been a victim of body shaming and bullying. It does take time to learn to love yourself but you’ll get there one day.”

De Leon encouraged both queens — and kings — to “love ourselves for who we truly are.”

“It’s time to show the media and everyone else that we won’t be swayed by their standards and the crazy standards set by society,” she added, punctuating her post with the hashtags #ConfidentlyCurvy and #LoveYourselfQueen.

Some body-shaming comments on her previous posts include “baboy (pig)” and “balyena (whale).” The comments section on her Instagram account has been disabled perhaps as one way to silence such bashing.

However, on Twitter, she still has her share of bashers who missed the point of her body positivity statement, with some calling her fat.

Still, her fans and supporters of her advocacy made themselves heard: @itsbiancaespada said the beauty queen “exuded radiance” while @mstherese_ called de Leon “classy, confident and graceful.” JB

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