The Fat Girl Army Manifesta

A few days ago, I was out picking up a few things that I needed for the house.  A woman stopped me and said:

"Honey, fat girls shouldn't wear tank tops.  This is why.  It's gross."  She pointed at my roll of underarm fat.  And added, "just a tip."

She walked away, and I was left feeling humiliated and hurt.  And angry.

What does this person care what I wear?  Who are they to tell me what s appropriate for my body?

So I thought about this for a few days.  I'm not embarrassed to say there were more than a few tears as I remembered and relived that moment at least a dozen times this week.

Instead of writing a scathing open letter to her though, I decided to turn my attention and efforts inwards.  Why did I feel so bad about what she said?  The minute before I was feeling confident and happy.  One stranger says one word, and poof! all that self-assurance is gone?

So I wrote this instead: 

 

The Fat Girl Army: A Manifesta

 

There is a war on the self-esteem of all plus-size women out there.  You have seen their propaganda: a fashion industry that works to exclude us by limiting our choices in clothing, a campaign of misinformation that declares we are all unhealthy, or lazy and “anti-fitness.”  You have felt their weapons: value-laden terminology that makes us feel degraded; words like “fat” are supposed to make us feel ashamed of our bodies, and by extension ourselves. Diet programs created to starve us into an “ideal” size, weakening not only our bodies, but also our resolve for revolution.

And that’s what this is, it’s a big fat revolution.

The Fat Girl Army wants you to join its ranks.  We are looking for fabulous fat women and their awesome allies to move this rebellion against self hatred into the front-minds of the world.  We are everywhere. Think about us.  Don’t ignore, dismiss, or chide us for wanting to love ourselves.

The Dictatorship of Size has never played nice.  Neither will we. This is all out rebellion. 

We will fight using our bodies for self-love instead of self-hatred.   Wear a bikini, and get on with your bad selves.  Show those arms in skinny strapped tanks tops, and baby tees.  Short shorts?  Heck, yes!  Wear what you want, where you want.  And feel awesome about it.

This dissidence will be fought with dollars.  We must support those companies who support us.  Places who accept us, and don’t try to change us.   Those companies who make us feel fabulous.

This revolt will be fought with words.  “Fat” as a badge of pride.  “Plus-sized” as a description of clothes and beauty.  The words that have been used to shame us will liberate us.  We will work to free ourselves of the sting of these words, and associate them will positive self-images.

That’s how we will win the battle.  We will use beauty, and confidence.

We don’t need propagandistic violence and loathing to be our weapons.  We’ll leave those foolish tactics to them.  Instead, we will accept all body sizes, because bodies come in all sizes.  We will not disparage our thin sisters.  They will become our allies.  Be fat.  Be thin.  Be whatever; just be.

The skinny supremacy is over.  There is enough room on this planet for all of us.  There is enough room in the definition of beauty to include us.  We will love every curve, every roll and every bulge that is part of our solid selves.  Shame about our bodies will no longer be an option.  It is love and be loved.

Oh yes, it is a big, fat revolution.  And it starts today.