A conversation about fat activism among activists in community with Nolose

Abstract

ABSTRACT Informed by the FaT GiRL Roundtables in FaT GiRL: A Zine for Fat Dykes and the Women Who Want Them, a group of US-based queer and transgender fat activists from diverse races, classes, ages, disabilities, and geographies, some associated with or in community with members of the queer and transgender fat liberation organization, Nolose, discuss fat activism. Activism discussed includes work in burlesque, community organizing, daily interpersonal work, work in higher education, organizing or funding community events, fat culture-making, exercise, and both online and in-person mutual aid and education. Participants raise relationships and events that led them to become fat activists, and talk about challenges in fat activism including the widespread belief that fat people can become thin people, racism and cissexism, internalized oppression, “body positivity” decentering superfat people and people of color and centering smaller white cisgender women. Included is the poem “Impostor Syndrome” by Dr. Sydney Lewis. Participants also talk about opportunities for action, powerful and effective strategies and tactics of fat activists, and possible futures of intersectional radical fat activism; these include mutual aid online organizing, centering Black fat femme people and politics in fat liberation analysis, multiple accessible ways of organizing, and organizing both with cultural and relationship-based work.