Sometimes "fat activists" get a bad rap for hating on people who aren't fat, but that's not what true fat activists are about.
In a talk titled "Enough with the Fear of Fat" at TEDxSydney in May, artist and fat activist Kelli Jean Drinkwater examined people's perceptions of bigger bodies by calling out a number of truths about fatness.
The "unapologetic fat woman" certainly made me rethink what I thought I knew; keep scrolling and see if she does the same for you, too.
"You may have been thinking, 'where does she get her confidence from?' Because a confident fat woman is almost unthinkable."
Misconception number one is that all fat people probably hate themselves, or wish they were thin, or despise the body they're in.
But why not? Why can't a fat woman just be content to be who she is? Why do we — other people, society, etc. — feel the need to put words in their mouth and say, "because you're fat, you must be unhappy"?
Here's why…
"Like any form of systemic oppression, fatphobia is deeply rooted in complex structures like capitalism, patriarchy, and racism, and that can make it really difficult to see..."
We're ingrained to think one way about weight and size. Fat equals bad; thin equals good. And so, fat people aren't treated as well as thin people.
"We may even blame fat people themselves for the discrimination they face because, after all, if we don't like it, we should just lose weight," Drinkwater says. But the thing is, no one asks to be bullied or discriminated against, and no one deserves it — least of all for how they look.
"Living outside what the mainstream considers normal can be a frustrating and isolating place."
Plus-size people are subject to a number of struggles that thin people don't have to deal with, all because of their size. They have a harder time dating, finding clothing in their size, getting jobs, and dodging judgmental looks and speeches.
Frustrating and isolating? That's only the beginning.
"I've been openly laughed at, abused from passing cars, and been told that I'm delusional," Drinkwater said. "[But] I also receive smiles from strangers who recognize what it takes to walk down the street with a spring in your step and your head held high.
"Radical body politics is the antidote to our body-shaming culture."
Drinkwater's plan to normalize all types of bodies in this world is to do all of the things that she's been told fat people can't do: dance. Swim. Work hard. Look sexy as hell.
"There are fat-shionistas who reclaim their bodies and their beauty by wearing fat-kinis and crop tops, exposing the flesh that we're all taught to hide," she said. "There are fat athletes who run marathons, teach yoga or do kickboxing, all done with a middle finger firmly held up to the status quo."
"Reclaiming yourself can be one of the most gorgeous acts of self-love and can look like a million different things..."
Unlike the fat activists who've made a bad name for themselves, Drinkwater doesn't think being fat is the only way to reclaim yourself.
"I'm not saying that people shouldn't change their bodies if that's what they want to do," she clarified. It can be anything "from hairstyles to tattoos to body contouring to hormones to surgery and yes, even weight loss.
"It's simple: It's your body, and you decide what's best to do with it."
Watch Drinkwater's full TEDx Talk here.
