Fat activism

[gendercritter]

The body positivity movement (which started as a really positive thing, I have no doubt) has increasingly started borrowing the language and tactics of the trans rights movement. I'm seeing evidence of that all over the internet and it's been causing me concern for a while.

I don't think it poses the same danger as the trans rights movement but it is harmful to mainly women because there is a difference between trying to respect oneself whatever one's size and encouraging a lot of vulnerable women to gain weight because that is a completely neutral thing and anyone who tells you otherwise is a white colonialist who is out to oppress you.

I'm attaching an image I saw online yesterday. I'm sure people will see it and realise where I'm coming from. The movement reeks of pomo and 'I will be whatever I want and you're committing violence against me if you disagree'

I know it's a lesser issue but it's still worth keeping an eye on. Some people are getting very wealthy off this movement and they quite often push the line 'twaw' on their (young, impressionable, female) followers

You HAVE to have sex with me .................said no woman ever.

If women really think that way how come there are no brothels full of male prostitutes or lap dancing clubs for women with male lap dancers in every town centre.

*Is transfat a thing too?”

Susie Orbach’s book “Fat is a Feminist Issue”, argued that for women who are oppressed and often brutalised for their biology, eating disorders were a form of control, when society allowed them no other form of agency. And being fat was a way of putting literal distance between you and the world, protecting yourself from men.

The book came out in the 70s, and it’s years since I read it, so apologies if I’ve been simplistic is quoting her argument.

I think though, there might be a parallel with the huge increase in young calls wanting to transition.

Both forms of bodily modification might appear to offer girls a refuge from a society increasingly hostile to women.

I too think there is a link between the high expectations society places on women and young girls wanting to transition I wonder how many of them detransition after a while though If so can you guess why? I can.

Both forms of bodily modification might appear to offer girls a refuge from a society increasingly hostile to women.

YY.

Seconded.

I do not think it is a spoof. I have seen plenty of it appearing online in young liberal circles. Whilst this is a rather aggressive example, the general gist of it is fairly standard.

'Fat' is considered an axis of oppression like race, cis-trans, and man-woman (by identity not sex) in queer circles.

If you have the stomach for it, I'd invite you to have a peek at this publication by Cambridge University Student Union (CUSU) LGBT+, specifically the 'Significant othering' article. Choice quotes include:

Attraction down the privilege gradient: all people who identify as unattracted to a marginalised group (such as trans* people, people of colour, or fat people) have a continuing duty to challenge this part of their sexual identity

As a transsexual woman, I demand that people who ‘aren’t attracted to trans people’ challenge that self identification.

To be fair this is followed up with
This also applies to me; because transphobia can also be internalised

As a size 16-18 woman, I must challenge my received fatphobia and not to say, ‘I have a type’, when that type just happens to be the type found on the cover of socalled [sic] beauty magazines.

My point in giving that link is that it is what CUSU LGBT+ thought reasonable to publish (back in 2012) to lend some legitimacy to the idea it's not a few fringe crazies in the bowels of the internet. I have seen it frequently. Whilst not exactly mainstream, it is not uncommon in 'queer theory' circles to include 'fat' as an axis of oppression.

AspieAndProud I don't know about 'transfat' but I've seen 'fat-identified' as a thing (tried to find a CUSU source, did not manage). I suppose it's about whether you want to 'claim the identity' whatever the hell that means.

My impression is that body positivity and acceptance (you don't exist solely to be attractive to men - something I support!) somehow morphed into 'you are totally perfect and if someone isn't attracted to you they are a bigot' and somehow also 'being fat is completely uncontrollable, like your height'.

I'd definitely say that the pressure is higher on women than men - a woman adding a few pounds is treated more harshly, and instead of the health basis she is judged on her sex appeal to men, which makes it a feminist issue. However, there's a bit of a gap between that and claiming that there is not only no way for someone to control their weight but that it constitutes a queer axis of oppression...

that has been written by someone who was socialised as male while growing up. i stand by my post of 00.17

That's a good point, I somehow missed that on the first round. Serves me right for posting at 3am...

I will claim I've seen it online from natal women too, but it was very unhelpful for me to use a male example. It was the only one I could find from a 'legitimate' source but yes, the rest of it is very very male. It happened to be the main source for my 'fat is a queer thing now' point.

There are prominent female 'fat activists' who promote this general idea too. Tess Holliday springs to mind. I know this looks like I'm just digging for the hell of it, but I really was going for the 'fat is queer' point before...she doesn't demand sex per se, but there's the definite vibe of you are the problem if you're not attracted to me.

www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/7757095/size-26-tess-holliday-fat-folks-have-bomb-sex/

I think the starting point was 'you can take steps towards improving your health wherever you start from, and it doesn't need to be all about the goal or your attractiveness' which again is a point of view that is laudable, and morphed into 'the main thing is still to be attractive to men but instead of changing ourselves we should fight to make them attracted to us'.

It was definitely written to mock fat women not written by a fat woman.

Yup, I've found the source I think.

theultimatesjw.tumblr.com/post/114688123792/if-a-fat-woman-wants-to-have-sex-with-you-have

Still, well done for spreading this unpleasant satire.

Go on reddit /fatlogic. You'll see that this attitude is REAL.

The attitude that refusing to have sex with a fat woman is raping her? That's what the image OP attached says.

I know the image in the OP has been debunked, but I’m interested in fat activism – I wonder how many of those women are actually happy? (Please, please don’t be offended if you are fat and happy – I know you exist, but purely from personal experience I think the happy bubbly fat woman is mostly a myth). I’ve thought a lot about the concept of defensive weight. I was a chubby teenager, lost weight, was raped and have spent the past 10 years struggling with my weight because in my head fat = invisible and safe, thin = visible and vulnerable. It’s a difficult cycle to break.

Still, well done for spreading this unpleasant satire.

If it's a spoof I'm only actually pleased that that's the case. I should have done a reverse image search and tried to find the source of it.

I am going to stand by what I wrote though. No, (Helena Dove in particular) I don't like the bopo movement. I love what it started out as (why wouldn't I when I've been overweight and am a femimist?) but it has long been alarming me for the reasons I've already stated. As I said we need to be aware of it as radical feminists because a lot of women come to it as quite vulnerable people. They are so relieved and happy to have found a community of people who accept them and tell them they're lovely as they are (which they are) and then they are basically sitting targets for everyone pushing queer theory on them and bashing them over the head with 'twaw'. I have seen a lot of aggression in the movement and feel aspects of it are becoming increasingly cultlike. I think the whole movement has basically been co-opted as someone suggested upthread and the transactivists are building support through it.

Have a look at this article here by Virgie Tovar who is one of the many people in the movement who has just had a book out.

ravishly.com/dieting-used-be-gender-affirming?fbclid=IwAR1xJTkwyUZXnS9SZXUrrqdSrupEJlw-4mdzl-l7qqFVb94TsvYbQHD96Jw

'Dieting used to be gender-affirming'

'[Sander Gilman] argues that “Dieting is a process by which the individual claims control over her body and thus shows her ability to understand her role.” Gilman is talking about dieting as a gendered behavior – a behavior that fundamentally affirms that you understand that you’re a woman in this society.'

'After reading feminist and queer texts, I was able to understand that gender is socially constructed and that, actually, there’s no limit to how many ways a person can express or claim femininity. I still struggle with Feminine Imposter Syndrome, but I’ve come to understand that femininity comes in all sizes and that all forms of feminine gender expression are legitimate. I no longer associate negative physical outcomes of hunger with successfully performing gender.'

Is there stuff in that article which is genuinely useful? Yes. But it demonstrates how the movement has swallowed pomo and queer theory. That isn't a good thing.

I have dieted most of my life. It has never been about performing femininity. It has always been about reducing my risks of getting cancer, avoiding diabetes and joint replacements and heart disease. Of course too I've wanted to look 'more attractive' but I've always thought beauty comes in all sizes so have been quite comfortable thinking you can be very feminine indeed as a larger woman. I grew up watching Dawn French and she is stunning. The whole debate around being fat has shifted very strongly in a particular direction and I am just highly suspicious about it.

im not necessarily a fan of it either. But i think its going to be used as another stick to beat overweight women with.

Like " ha ha Look at them They actually think they are attractive"

although im not sure about the movement myself it was born as a reaction to the abuse overweight women get.

And women do not think that way As a size 14 to 16 woman i would NOT want ANY man to have sex with me unless he was really into me. Why would i? Why would any woman. If women did where are the brothels for women Where are the lap dancing clubs for women Im aware some women use male escorts but its nowhere near the amount of men who use prostitutes.

I would not be surprised if it was a man or a trans woman who had the original idea for this.

But they didnt care that it may ........no fuck it WILL be used as another stick to beat overweight women with.