Why is #NoBraDay trending on Twitter in India?
What's the story
If you have been on Twitter today, you may have seen #NoBraDay trending in India.
However, the hashtag seems to be having an identity crisis of sorts as the tweets can be put into three major categories: braless photos, creeps gushing about braless photos, and the subject that seemed to have gotten lost in the midst of it all: breast cancer awareness.
Twitter trend
What are people tweeting about on #NoBraDay?
If you check #NoBraDay- which has 212K tweets at the time of writing this report- you may find some tweets such as "waiting for my Twitter crush to post like" or "we are the doctors in charge, come for your breast cancer examination today."
Others shamed smaller breasts or even included overtly sexualized imagery of breasts as if that's what breasts are meant for.
Twitter Post
Here are some of the tweets
We are the doctors in charge, come for your breast cancer examination today 😏 #NoBraDay pic.twitter.com/5MvBWdNtVs
— NNAYI CHRISTMAS 🎅🏾 (@dayveedcody) October 13, 2019
Twitter Post
As if breast cancer awareness needs to be silenced more
“#NoBraDay is for cancer awareness “
— Retired hoe (@TheIbkMedia) October 13, 2019
We know plis 🌚 pic.twitter.com/WgQ9Ho8x5p
Twitter Post
Creep alert
Waiting for my Twitter crush to post like 😂#NoBraDay pic.twitter.com/syYiFUpSXv
— Lee Otieno jr🇰🇪 (@levisotieno98) October 13, 2019
Twitter Post
It's 2019 and body-shaming small boobs is still normalized
"Control the Crowd, Control the Crowd".. 😂
— Davvo King (@Davvoking) October 13, 2019
"All the girls with the big fat boobs, Come forward, The rest Fuckofff. 🤢😂#NoBraDay pic.twitter.com/4ysntHiQpD
Twitter Post
"iT's uNfAiR tO yOuNg MeN"
So people decided to trend No bra day on a Sunday ... I am a young man and I know my fellow men x I know how human body functions . #NoBraDay is a health x self care hashtag for cancer but people have turned it to soft porn 😔it’s unfair to young men
— IgboMade (@volqx) October 13, 2019
Twitter Post
Taking up space where you don't belong for likes SMH
Today is #NoBraDay, I decided to celebrate the day. Meanwhile the Sun 🌞 also come in to bless the day❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/hTNQuOh0Bx
— Instagram Babes🦋 (@_cute_babes) October 13, 2019
Origin
How and where did #NoBraDay originate?
#NoBraDay is an online campaign that started in 2011 with the aim to raise awareness towards breast cancer.
It is said to have originated in Toronto, Canada, where a plastic surgeon, Dr. Mitchell Brown, started BRA (Breast Reconstruction Awareness) Day.
Thereafter, women were encouraged to leave their homes without bras on the 13th of October- National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the US.
Awareness
What's the real reason behind observing #NoBraDay?
Ever since, BRA Day and the #NoBraDay online campaign have spread around the world.
The movement aims to remind people to partake in regular breast cancer screening, which can help detect up to two years ahead of it being felt by the patient or their doctor.
The movement also aims to teach people about the importance of regular self-examinations and reduce stigma around mastectomies.
Twitter Post
Here's what people should be tweeting about
It's that time of the week again! Give yourself a #FridayFeeling and check your breasts for signs and symptoms of breast cancer 🎀 #BCAM pic.twitter.com/EzCrfIr5vf
— Breast Cancer Now (@BreastCancerNow) October 6, 2017
Things to know
In 2018, India registered 1.62 lakh new breast cancer cases
Notably, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting women, however, it also afflicts other genders.
In 2018, 1,62,468 new breast cancer cases were registered and 87,090 deaths were reported.
An early diagnosis could save lives, hence, it's important to know the symptoms of breast cancer, which include: the presence of a lump/dimple in the chest, bloody discharge, texture/color change, etc.