June 6, 2023
10 Insta-Reasons We Love Out Influencer Max Hovey
Shawn Laib READ TIME: 11 MIN.
When searching for an LGBTQ+ influencer you can relate to, sometimes it's hard to find that perfect someone who isn't chiseled with a six-pack or towering over their peers with a smooth tan. Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and body types.
English influencer Max Hovey has garnered over 129,000 followers on Instagram due to his courageous encouragement to live your life fearlessly and with confidence no matter what your body size. If you're looking for somebody who embraces body diversity and gives tips on how to cope with unreasonable body image expectations, Hovey is sure to give you hope for your own self-confidence. We've compiled some of his absolute best posts on IG so you can start reimagining what sexy can look like!
This video shows Hovey talking about some of his own body insecurities in hopes that others might feel seen or heard. Small topics that aren't really talked about very often include love handles, scars, and stomach hair. On apps like Grindr and Scruff that put such an emphasis on tribes, compartmentalizing male body types, and hyper-sexual expectations, these insecurities can really make someone's confidence plummet. It's inspiring to see Hovey talk about how he also struggles with these issues and that it's not bad to reach out for help.
Hovey celebrates the beginning of Pride Month 2023 by talking about all of the issues still plaguing the LGBTQ+ community. Hate crimes against queer people are increasing, legislators around the world are passing bills that make it harder for non-straight and non-gender-conforming folks to live their best lives, and intolerance within the gay community towards non-heteronormativity are major problems. Hovey reminds his followers that Pride is about liberation and protest. Never stop fighting until everyone feels free to live how they need to.
Hovey has struggled with his mental health throughout his life and isn't afraid to share his struggle with his audience. He wants people to know that healing from mental health issues can look different for everyone. Sometimes it means spending time with family in the sun. Other times it means meditating alone or even being lazy and sleeping all day. As long as you come out the other side feeling rejuvenated and ready to grow past your problems and become whole, there should be no judgment on the path to prominent living.
Sex positivity is something that some queer people can find hard to navigate. Sex is often thought of as taboo still, and queer sex is even more discriminated against culturally and in the media. Hovey makes sure to encourage his viewers to enjoy sexual activity, but do so in a safe manner. With so many hookup apps and polyamorous relationships in the gay community, it's more important than ever to use contraception and check for sexually transmitted infections. Access to these tests and education on their ease of use can help everyone feel more comfortable getting tested.
In this video Hovey talks about some of the controversies surrounding British artist Sam Smith. The non-binary superstar is becoming known for carefree music videos where they're not afraid to show off their body. Hovey wants people to see the hypocrisy in how fans enjoy hyper-sexual music videos depicting thin female artists and muscular male artists, but not the liberation of someone who doesn't fit society's beauty and body standards.
Hovey shows his pride in action when he attends a parade focusing on transgender rights. The trans community is being attacked relentlessly by GOP legislatures across the country as they attempt to pass bills harming the community. It's important to come together and support those who need the most love during these tumultuous times we are living in.
"Heartstopper '' was one of the most influential LGBTQ+ coming-of-age shows in the streaming era when it was released last year. Hovey makes sure to celebrate not only the show in this post, but also the Alice Osman graphic novels it was based upon. Kit Connor and Joe Locke give beloved performances as the two school boys who fall in love. The second season of the Netflix hit will be released on August 3, 2023.
Hovey gives an invaluable and insightful perspective here about the limits of a 24-hour day within the human species. We're expected to be productive and fill our hours with the most we can, but sometimes anxiety and mental health problems make this difficult. Hovey wants people to be kind to each other and understand that time is valuable no matter how it is spent as long as someone is benefiting from what they're doing.
Hovey addresses a detractor of his IG page who feels offended that Hovey is portraying himself as an overweight person. Hovey makes sure to say he never is under the illusion that his content is relatable for everyone, and he will continue to try and inspire those who look and feel like he does.
Hovey talks about some of the myths surrounding masturbation in this video. He wants his audience to understand that it is healthy and normal for all people to partake in self-pleasure from time to time. Queer individuals especially might benefit from the time spent understanding their own bodies.
