The 31 Absolute Best Body Positivity Moments of 2019

Since her legendary performance during which she sang "Truth Hurts" live, strutted around stage in a white bridal leotard, and touted on the flute — receiving a standing ovation from Rihanna herself — Lizzo has become an icon of body positivity.

Most recently she posted an Instagram photo of herself in lingerie along with a Marianne Williamson quote about how self-liberation frees others.

In September, models of all shapes, colors, ethnicities, and sexual and gender identities stomped around the fashion stage at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in Savage X Fenty lingerie. RiRi herself opened the show in a black lace getup, surrounded by models, all vogueing on raised platforms. The show challenged less-inclusive brands to embrace all bodies.

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was cancelled due to a drop in ratings (and product sales) in recent years. The show had been criticized for its poor body diversity and objectifying beauty. Its demise is a huge signifier that modern culture is done accepting the brand's singular, size-0 standard of sexy.

Ashley Graham has been credited with "bringing size acceptance into the mainstream," according to Glamour, and now that she is expecting her first child, she hasn't hesitated to use her experience to promote body positivity. The activist even posted an Instagram photo of her developing stretch marks across her belly, thighs, and breasts.

When it comes to body positivity, women tend to dominate the conversation. And in an episode of The Allure Podcast, Jonathan Van Ness addressed that gender gap: "We talk about body shaming, body positivity, and what the female gender encounters in that realm. I think in the male side that is not talked about quite as much, and I know I was severely impacted by that my whole life."

Model and blogger Tess Holliday walked in a remix of the traditional sample-size dress — usually a size 0 to 4 — in a Chromat show during NYFW that not only designed dresses with an inclusive message but also enlisted models of all sizes to send the message home.

The comedian and actress has documented her difficult journey through her first pregnancy on social media and most recently shared an Instagram photo of herself in a bathing suit on the beach with her little family. In the comments, she replied to her fans, "I am loving my warm soft post baby body. Grateful to be feeling so strong again!"

When The Inquisitr referred to Demi Lovato as having a "fuller figure" in a headline, the singer — who has publicly shared her battle with eating disorders in the past — took to Instagram to respond that she is more than her weight.

But she hasn't stopped there. The star continues to fight trolls on social media who perpetuate toxic diet culture.

The butter-voiced singer posted a shirtless photo himself on Instagram, along with a caption about his journey toward overcoming low self-esteem: "Yesterday I decided to fight the fuck back. Reclaim my body and stop trying to change this chest and these hips and these curves … "

With this post, Smith bravely reminded us that men feel body shame too.

Pansexual model Harnaam Kaur, who has a beard as a result of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, is an activist who aspires to inspire self-acceptance in others, particularly within the LGBTQ community. She even refers to herself as a "bearded lady" to encourage questions and conversation. This year Kaur promoted her message of body positivity in front of thousands at a Stonewall rally.

In Milan in September, J.Lo, 50, set the fashion world on fire — again — by sashaying down the runway at a Versace show in a re-creation of the dress she wore when she was 30, looking arguably better than she did 20 years ago. In a world where youth is celebrated, the singer and actress showed that aging women have it going on.

In an interview with InStyle in January, Melissa McCarthy opened up about the shaming she's received from critics regarding her appearance and weight and pointed out the fact that male actors don't receive the same treatment.

"It happens all the time, to the point where it’s fascinating because they don’t do it to men. Not to be a jerk or single him out, but when John Goodman was heavier, did anybody ever talk about his girth?"

Hunter McGrady is Sport's Illustrated's "curviest" model, and recently she was the first curvy bride to appear on the cover of a print magazine, The Knot, according to Insider. The Knot designed the issue with the idea of making wedding-dress shopping more inclusive and accessible for women of all sizes.

In September, Harper's Bazaar published Emily Ratajkowski's personal essay on her choice to be hyper feminine — and how every woman deserves respect no matter her appearance. The essay was accompanied by a photo of the model and actress lifting her arm to revel a hairy armpit.

"For me, body hair is another opportunity for women to exercise their ability to choose — a choice based on how they want to feel and their associations with having or not having body hair."

Last year, the pop star received a lot of negative attention for the fact that she gained weight between touring for her 1989 album in 2014 and her latest album, Lover. In an essay for Elle, Swift wrote that she had to "retrain her brain" to accept her body.

"I think a lot of us push the boundaries of dieting, but taking it too far can be really dangerous. There is no quick fix. I work on accepting my body every day."

TV personality Chrissy Teigen got real about her mom bod on Twitter. In March, the celebrity shared that she is getting acquainted with the extra 20 pounds she still has after birthing her second child — her "new normal."

She also reminds us that thin does not always equate to healthy, sharing that the thinnest she had ever been was while experiencing postpartum depression after her first pregnancy.

The tennis star and role model posed for unretouched photos published in Harper's Bazaar along with a personal essay declaring that she would not hide her voice or her body in the wake of her 24th Grand Slam, when she was allegedly penalized for being an angry black woman.

“I’ve been shamed because of my body shape … In short, it’s never been easy. But then I think of the next girl who is going to come along who looks like me, and I hope, ‘Maybe, just maybe, my voice will help her.’”

The writer, producer, and actress is known for using her own body as a way to generate discussion about sensitive subjects relating to women's health and self-acceptance. This time she shared a photo of herself sitting naked in the sunshine with a caption deliberately designed to generate body positivity.

"Any negativity that comes your way is just an excuse to love yourself even more, right? Comment below with a reason you love yourself."

Winnie Harlow, who has a skin condition called vitiligo, posed alongside another model with vitiligo, Shahad Salman, for the cover of Vogue Arabia's June issue. The duo's feature marked an important moment for spreading body positivity and diversity in the Middle East.

In a spring Civilian feature, the plus-size model talks about spreading awareness of eating disorders as an ambassador for the National Eating Disorders Association and the importance of showing physical imperfections for real representations of human bodies.

"To me, unretouched and raw images always make me feel more connected to the subject. I feel like I’m truly seeing them," she said on Instagram.