Sir Mix-a-lot may like a big butt, but anybody who's actually got back has stressed over its size. Similarly, slim types with smaller handles worry that there isn't enough of them to love. No matter where each individual body falls on the curvature scale, there's a stereotype to bring it down: voluptuous types are slutty, the streamlined are asexual, and there are serious consequences if those lady (or man) lumps don't fit inside the gender box you were assigned at birth. The more racialized a particular body is, the more stringent the judgments tend to be.
This Pride, we present the Ethnic Aisle Ass Issue. Our goal is to dissect how race and ethnicity in Toronto intersect with issues of body image, beauty, sexuality and the all-important ass. We've got some fun stuff, including our first-ever audio post and playlist, and some serious thinking. As always, we're taking this very, very personally.
Photograph by Bruce Tuten
Speaking with Denise Balkissoon, sexual health counsellor Rahim Thawer discusses HIV prevention, fetishes, stereotypes and, most importantly, keeping the ass fun.