Comments on: Why I Still Use the Term “Fat Acceptance”

By: brenda

brenda — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:47:58 +0000

As an aside, I am loosely involved in Deaf culture. Around here, when using signlanguage it is common to describe someone by their physical attributes, and body shape is used as often as hair colour. There isn’t the same stigma attached to having a nice soft gut overhanging your belt. Its just another configuration that people come in.

By: C

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:30:58 +0000

I disagree, Shirley. I’m black, and in the black community it’s still the fat women who get the ridicule. It’s still the fat women who are ignored and pushed aside. It’s still the fat women who have a harder time than the thin women. Black males are more likely to go after the thin women than the fat ones. However, fat women are also associated with good food in the black community (unlike in the white community). The few black women who do want to gain weight are quickly asked why. It’s worse because black people have been so thoroughly brainwashed by mainstream white culture, so anything that doesn’t fit the thin/white/blue-eyed/blonde beauty standard is considered ugly, and as black people, we’re considered to be absolutely hideous. If you honestly think that thin black women have it so hard, I think you’re just in denial.

By: Shirley

Shirley — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:14:22 +0000

I know this post is really old and nobody will even read this but I had to respond:
“I just mean that anti-fat comments do have real cultural and institutional hatred behind them, whereas anti-thin comments just don’t…People aren’t routinely accused of being lazy, smelly, disgusting, unhealthy, and morally bankrupt because they’re thin. People aren’t encouraged by the media, the government, their friends, and their families to hate themselves for being thin, and to spend any amount of money to become less thin.”
If you really believe this, you haven’t spent any time in the Black community. Thin Black women are constantly told how disgusting and unhealthy they are. Black people are encouraged (contrary to your white-centric beliefs) by media, friends, and family to gain weight and hate their naturally thin bodies. If you are thin, you constantly hear this: “Nobody wants a bone but a dog” which means that only dogs would want to date a skinny woman. Black women spend plenty of money on weight-gain shakes and pills.
Come on now.

By: rx

rx — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:22:18 +0000

I know I’m reading this really late, but whatever.

Try being mistaken for a guy – ALL THE TIME – because you’re tall (really tall, not like “that girl is kind of tall” tall) not too skinny, not fat, and you have no boobs. I mean, I was mistaken for a guy in drag at a halloween party once, on a night that I had actually felt kind of hot. I wound up just leaving the party early and taking off the dress and I haven’t gone all out on halloween since. I know people stare at me when I wear heels and they wonder if I’m a man or a woman. If I were at least fat, they’d know from the shape of my body, but since I am thin and flat chested I just look in between.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:27:08 +0000

In response to sweet machine (laura)’s first post – I hope I’m not posting something that’s already been said, but I kind of think it makes sense for a thin or “in-between” person to use the term “fat acceptance”. If I heard a thin person say “body acceptance”, I might think they were just sounding PC without meaning it. If I heard them say “fat acceptance” I’d probably be more likely to think, “Woah – tell me more!” It would catch my ear. I’d wonder if they had ever been “fat”, or what made them so ballsy to SAY the word “fat” (without saying it with hate, which is of course allowed by our culture).

Of course, maybe our preferred terminology has a LOT more to do with our personal history and how much the word “fat” has a sting. For me it has a relatively low level of sting.

I am completely naive to the world of FA however; this is a great site to read and absorb!

By: Fat Heroines Aren’t Easy « Racy Romance Reviews

Fat Heroines Aren’t Easy « Racy Romance Reviews — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:55:47 +0000

[...] terms by the gay rights and black communities. A good discussion by one woman who owns the term is here. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)The Eeeeevil Mother in Romance Published [...]

By: A Blonde Needs Advice « Ask The Blondes

A Blonde Needs Advice « Ask The Blondes — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:35:06 +0000

[...] THEN… I use the word “fat” to describe myself. A lot of people are uncomfortable with that, and I don’t mind if they want to call me [...]

By: By any other name? at Hoyden About Town

By any other name? at Hoyden About Town — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:00:45 +0000

[...] until now. My new awareness is largely due to Kate Harding, and of course the amazing Hoydens. This article by Harding about sticking firm to the use of the word ‘fat’ in naming a fat acceptance political [...]

By: Can You Hear Me Now? » Blog Archive » It’s Just My Opinion

Can You Hear Me Now? » Blog Archive » It’s Just My Opinion — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 03:52:16 +0000

[...] now, which led me to the now famous Fat Rant by Joy Nash, and the WONDERFUL, awesome and brilliant Kate Harding. And let’s hear a rousing roar of applause for Mika’s latest [...]

By: littlem

littlem — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 02:00:58 +0000

Um…. that would be SUFFICIENTLY.

D**n h*ll a** ‘puter.