InHERSkin, a new campus organization, is working to dismantle beauty standards and spread love to girls on campus.
Growing up, Jailyne Sirmans constantly felt insecure about her weight. Sirmans, a kinesiology sophomore, still remembers moments from her childhood where her size was a topic of discussion for her family or friends.
“My parents used to [call me] Heavy Chevy… or like Baby D from Friday, and they used to always make those jokes, and, of course, it built insecurities,” Sirmans said.
As she got older, Sirmans noticed that women’s bodies were often judged and critiqued – even in communities that were designed to be accepting.
At North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, which she attended before transferring to LSU, she was disappointed to realize that, even at an HBCU, women were still being judged.
“I was like, ‘That’s a shame that I go to an HBCU, and we’re still colors,’” Sirmans said, “I had some homeboys there. They’d be like, ‘Oh, I love a light-skinned girl. I’d never talk to a bigger girl. I like skinny, petite girls.’”
That is when Sirmans decided to create InHERSkin. The club formed at the beginning of this semester and focuses on uplifting women on campus through empowerment sessions and tabling events in Free Speech Alley.
“It’s important to remind the girls on campus to be themselves. You’re beautiful. You don’t have to change for anybody,” said Ayanna Guy, secretary of InHerSkin and a sociology sophomore.
Guy emphasized how challenging it is to be a woman in an era of social media. She said people on the internet will criticize any woman regardless of her size.
She also pointed out that beauty standards are constantly changing, influenced by everything from celebrities to seasons.
“[Women’s bodies are] a social media trend… In winter, boys prefer a thicker girl because it’s cold outside, like it just changes as the season goes,” Guy said.
She and Sirmans believe the online commentary surrounding women’s bodies is extremely damaging to young girls. It can send the message that a girl needs to change her appearance to be considered beautiful.
The organization plans to start volunteering at schools in the area next semester to reach younger girls. They also plan to hold more empowerment events to teach women on campus about self-love.
“You’re beautiful.. You don’t have to change for anybody,” Guy said.