Brazilian Plus-Sized Model & Gay Woman, Talks About How Her Failed Suicide Attempt Paved Way For Her Career:

After she failed in her attempt to kill herself as a result of the inferiority complex she experienced based on her body size as well as being black, Maya Efe, discovered something that gave her more reasons to live and make the best out of her seemingly bad situation.
Upon recovery from depression, the Brazilian black and curvy gay woman took a bold step by posting pictures of herself on social media which to her discovery, were admired by people.
Today, Mayara Efe is a known plus-sized model in the modeling world of Brazil regardless of her skin color, sex and sexuality.
Below is what she said about how she became who she is today...
“#MyStory is about loving yourself, your heritage and your body. It’s about survival and having the freedom to be who you are.” —Mayara Efe (@mayaraefe), a body-positivity activist and plus-sized model from São Paulo, Brazil.
“For years, I suffered from depression. As a black, curvy and gay woman, I didn’t fit into any of society’s boxes. I tried to fit in. I tried to lose weight, and every month I tried to straighten my hair. Then, when I still didn’t feel like my life had any great possibilities, I tried suicide. During my recovery from depression, I discovered feminism and realized that I could do anything, regardless of my skin color or weight. I started to post photos that my grandmother would take of me. People began sharing these images, saying I was photogenic and recommending me for modeling jobs. This is how I became a plus-sized model.
I don’t want other girls or women to have to go through the same thing I did in order to learn to love themselves. I learned the hard way that the only way to be happy is to hold your head up high and have the maximum amount of love and respect for yourself.”
Photo by @mayaraefe
Continue to see more photos of Mayara Efe below...