Welcome to FLABULOUS FRIDAY! No, that is not a spelling error;
it is my new focus for my Friday blog posts. What it means to be fat in this
thin focused society! Today’s post is
part of a blog carnival of which I’m proud to be a participant! So, here goes…
30 years ago several people got together and helped in the
gathering of facts and real life stories to bring us Shadows on a Tightrope:Writings by Women on Fat Oppression Edited by Lisa Schoenfielder and BarbWieser Forward by Vivian Mayer. A couple
months ago the wonderful Marilyn Wann of Fat!So? fame presented the idea on Facebook
to honor this anniversary. The challenge to those, like myself, who chose to be
involved was to read the book, if not already done so and share the
following: How has
weight-related attitudes and fat activist community changed in the last 30 years?
What changes do you still want and need?
I am relatively new to the fat activist community and really
just getting started in some minor efforts. In all honesty, I had not heard of
this book before this opportunity arose and am now ever so grateful. I found it
most interesting that a lot of the information has not changed, except maybe in
numbers. For example, instead of millions going to the ‘diet’ or ‘reduction’
industry, it is now billions!
HOW HAVE WEIGHT-RELATED
ATTITUDES CHANGED IN THE LAST 30 YEARS? I don’t see much change in the “weight-related
attitudes” of society in general. As I read this book, part of me couldn’t help
but feel that I never stood a chance. I was only 12 years old when this book
came out and had been fat for half my life at that point. I don’t know what
happened between the first and second grades but my memories of being fat start
in second grade and my fat experience continues today. I have lived with almost
constant ridicule from family, so-called friends, teachers, religious leaders,
coworkers and bosses over these many years. From remarks of what I should or
shouldn’t be eating to pressures to try this or that diet or weight loss method
to my clothes not being good and the list goes on…
HOW HAS THE FAT
ACTIVIST COMMUNITY CHANGED IN THE LAST 30 YEARS? For me, personally, I don’t
know if I can really answer this question. As mentioned before I had not heard
of this book until a couple of months ago and until 11 years ago had not known
there were other people out there that felt the same as me. How is that you
ask? Well, in spite of the constant ridicule and such from all the above
mentioned people in my life, I always felt like there wasn’t anything wrong
with me and that made something extra wrong with me. In 2002 my bestest friend loaned me a copy of
Fat!So? by Marilyn Wann and I devoured it in a matter of days! The entire time
I was reading it, I kept thinking that every person I have ever met in my
entire life needs to read this book! Sadly, only a couple of them have done so…but
that is beside the point here and now. Since the time of reading this book,
there have been many things I learned that I would love to become more active
in helping others, of all ages, in learning to love themselves and not be
ashamed of who they are because of a number on the scale. THERE IS NO SHAME IN
A NUMBER! Why so many people in the world are scared of a number is beyond me!
My role in fat activism has really taken off this year, including the
introduction of my new blog theme! There will be more details to come in the
coming weeks of what I’ve been up to this year!
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| A new generation is introduced to Shadow on a Tightrope. Photo Credit: Substantia Jones |
WHAT CHANGES DO YOU
STILL WANT AND NEED? There is still so much to do! The above picture says a
lot, we need to continue to share and educate those in our lives about fat
acceptance. As I read this book, I could not help but feel that in many ways, some
things have not changed at all in the last 30 years. I would love to see everyone just get along!
I’m not saying that everyone has to love everyone else, although what an
amazing world we’d live in if this were the norm, right?! I’m just saying that
people should worry more about themselves and lose the negativity. So many
people are missing out on some great relationships by exercising so much fat
hate! More specifically, I would love to see size discrimination be added to
the unacceptable discrimination list, starting with employment. But in general,
society has so much to learn about the realities of fat people and the
ineffectiveness of fat shaming!
Follow the links below to read what many others have to say
about this special 30th anniversary:
Body Love Wellness: http://www.bodylovewellness.com/2013/11/08/get-your-shadows-on-a-tightrope-blog-carnival-links-here/
As an unashamed fat person, I hope those who know me would
agree that I am a good friend, a good worker and a student! Although, I really have
no idea how me being fat has anything really to do with any of that! So, that’s
what it is to me…watsit2u?
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