Arvida Byström is the body hair championing warrior, challenging societal definitions of what it means to be a woman, both in her art and via her Instagram. A fierce feminist and non-conforming activist, her sex-positive imagery and proud celebration of her beautifully dimpled and curvaceous form have made her a hit with millennials, fashion brands and magazines worldwide. Framed within those safe socially liberal spaces, Arvida is rarely exposed to negative backlash. After all, it’s 2017 grandad, haven’t you heard of fourth wave feminism?
It was only when she appeared in an Adidas Originals campaign, earlier this month, her body hair on public display, that Arvida felt the full wrath of the internet for the first time. To the point where she began receiving rape threats.
Taking to her followers on Instagram, the 26-year-old artist posted the following message: “My photo from the @adidasoriginals superstar campaign got a lot of nasty comments last week. Me being such an abled, white, cis body with its only nonconforming feature being a lil leg hair. Literally I’ve been getting rape threats in my DM inbox. I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to not posses all these privileges and try to exist in the world. Sending love and try to remember that not everybody has the same experiences being a person Also thanks for all the love got a lot of that too ❤️”
Arvida, being the total hero that she is, merely laughed these comments off. But what about those who can’t? What about those women who are getting abused on a daily basis for not conforming to what a bunch of dickheads think is acceptable — who are unable for whatever reason to laugh at and ignore those comments?
Sexism in any shape or form is totally unacceptable, and those that participate in it should feel totally ashamed.
This article has been amended.