6 Ways I Was Taught To Be a “Good Fatty” — And Why I Stopped September 5, 2019 by Kitty Stryker, Guest Writer 1 Comment This article was originally published on EverydayFeminsim.com and is republished with permission. I wasn’t born fat. I came into fatness as a teenager. This was in part because of medication that increased my water retention drastically and in part because puberty gave me huge breasts, with a belly and thighs to match. And I was lucky, in some ways. My mother was also fat, and … [Read more...]
How A “Special” Dance Class Helped Me Find My Beauty July 15, 2018 by Cara Liebowitz Leave a Comment Confession time: even though I shout disability pride and loving your body from the rooftops to anyone who cares to listen, I still have a certain amount of hatred for my legs. I have cerebral palsy, which means my legs have a particular golf-club-like quality to them. Long, rigid legs end in an ankle that doesn’t really move and a foot that resembles a plank of wood. My toes … [Read more...]
Queer Eye: Inviting Social Change, One Makeover at a Time July 5, 2018 by Gillian Brown Leave a Comment When I first saw an ad for the new Queer Eye television show, my primary reaction was one of bemusement. I remembered the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and I liked it a lot at the time. I liked how the show would delve into the lives and backgrounds of the weekly "straight guys" more than other makeover shows. I also cannot deny the original show’s importance in … [Read more...]
From the Doctors to the Gym: Navigating Body-Shame In the Most Vulnerable Places March 11, 2018 by Kristen M. Polito, Guest Writer Leave a Comment I was scheduled for a doctor’s appointment that was meant to address the ongoing pain and lack of mobility in my left hip. The persistent injury was at its worst in last January, preventing me from even walking normally, much less going out for a nice long run. At the time, I substituted my running workouts entirely with low-impact cardio and, when I was disciplined, some … [Read more...]
Protect Your Children, Watch Your Mouth: How Parents Can (and Must) Foster Positive Body Image January 14, 2018 by Kristen M. Polito, Guest Writer Leave a Comment To the Father of the Little Girl, Whom He Teased Publicly About Being 'Fat' Dear Sir, I’m guessing you didn’t mean intentional harm when you laughed loudly and instructed your young daughter to get on the scale at the Publix supermarket so you could see how “fat” she was. I’m sure you didn’t mean anything by your thoughtless remark. In fact, you acted quite tickled with … [Read more...]
Weightlifting and Self-Love: On Being the Little Guy in the Weight Room April 13, 2015 by A.X. Ruiz Leave a Comment For 60 to 90 minutes, three days a week, my universe consists of a few hundred pounds of iron and a pair of headphones. I am a weightlifter. Not a bodybuilder, not a powerlifter, but a weightlifter. Ostensibly, I lift because it’s my “me” time. I take satisfaction in watching the numbers in my little training log move up just a bit more than the session before. Really, though, … [Read more...]
