Size Activist

or "Fat and DEFINITELY All That!"

I support the radically simple idea that people should not be discriminated against, made fun of, restricted, or oppressed because of the size and shape of their bodies. Moreover, I believe that everyone has a right to dignity, respect, and self-love, and that jokes that denigrate fat people are just as offensive as those that denigrate women or ethnic groups.

You'd be amazed at how difficult this idea is to convey, here in the Puritan '90s, when the great sin is no longer murder or kinky sex, but cheesecake. Fat is the last great acceptable prejudice.

Well, no more, not for me nor any of mine. I do not want to hear about your latest weight-loss scheme; I will not make self-deprecating jokes about my size, nor tolerate them being played out in my presence; I will not live on salad forever as penance for my shape; you should NOT assume I would rather be thin and am "just fooling myself", nor should you assume that I consume large quantities of junk food and never exercise (you'd be wrong in all three cases); I will challenge the assumption that fat people are stupid, clumsy, lacking in personal hygeine, and bad in bed (you'd REALLY be wrong there); and you definitely better make sure I get equal access to everything life has to offer, or there will be hell to pay.

I work with a local group geared toward size acceptance activism and support for women called SeaFATtle; our past projects have included public activism for International No Diet Day (including smashing scales under the Space Needle), a solidarity presence at Seattle's Pride Day festival, and organizing and putting on a conference for fat women that was held in November 1997 near Seattle.

Some of my favorite allies in the size-acceptance movement:

• FAT!SO? - The domain of the fabulous Marilyn Wann and her 'zine, FAT!SO?. Be warned: you may want to be careful about opening this page at work.
• BBW Magazine - It's slick and more mainstream than most, but this is a lovely site dedicated to the online and newstand versions of BBW. If you're very interested in fashion and appearance, a good place to browse.
• Radiance - The real voice of modern fat womanhood, in my humble opinion. The all-around best magazine, I think, and the one I tend to recommend most.
• FatGirl - Max Airborne's 'zine "for fat dykes and the women who want them." Terrific logo.
• Rump Parliament - One of the earlier size-acceptance publications and still one of the best.
• Size Wise - A page for the new book Size Wise, which contains useful info and pointers for large folk.
• Largesse - Self-described as "the size-acceptance network", it's an especially good source for activism supplies.
• Stef's Size Acceptance Page - If you've been in the online fat-acceptance world for more than a few days, you've probably encountered Stef. Lots of good stuff here, including Stef's national fat-friendly physician listings.
• Sanity - The first comic online with a size-related theme.
• MaryMc's Fat Acceptance Page - Mary is my good friend, co-activist, and a way cool chick; her page is extensive and tended with care.

Marty Hale-Evans

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