SIMPLE GUIDE:
Body Horror: Things that cannot happen in real life. EX: The Thing, stomach mouths, eyes on hands, etc
Gore: Fresh injuries, often severe. EX: Severed leg, gutspill, deep gashes, etc
NEITHER: Healed injuries and burns, congenital differences, missing appendages, etc. If I could theoretically go to the store and see that character browsing the isles- It isn't body horror or gore. That's just a person. *AND the amount of people that tag, not just fictional characters, but real human beings as body horror is staggering. Its not solely a fandom issue, ableism and bigotry against anyone that looks sufficiently "different" is prevalent in real life and has devastating consequences.
(Modified) from my comment left on this post.
Adding:
Self harm scars are not body horror.
Pregnant people are not body horror.
Burn scars are not body horror, that includes chemical burn scars.
Prosthetics are not body horror.
NOT having prosthetics is also not body horror.
There is no disability aid that is body horror.
Congenital differences + disabilities are not body horror.
AND acquired differences + disabilities are also not body horror.
Real people are not body horror.
If you are uncomfortable or scared because someone looks different than you that is YOUR PROBLEM. It is your responsibility to get over it, or at the very least not make it everyone else's issue. Play the quiet game.
I have a huge burn scar on my arm and once on a discord server i sent a pic holding something and the mods deleted the image and told me i can't send stuff like that bc it makes people uncomfortable. I also get told a lot how gross it is.
Like bro idk what you want from me. Should i just replace my skin and flesh for you???
