To state the obvious for those of you who know me, I am aware that I am not fat. In my opinion, that doesn't have any current bearing on my interest in the fat acceptance movement.
When I was in high school, I was heavier than I am now. I've always been conscious of my weight, because for the most part we live in a society where not being aware of your weight basically isn't possible. My parents didn't really make weight an issue. They certainly never told me that weight was important. They barely even made a point to talk about fitness as a major part of health. My dad, in fact, talked to me on several occasions about Barbie's body being unrealistic and hoping that I realised that beautiful bodies come in lots of different shapes and sizes.
On the other hand, I remember my mom having Slim Fast milkshakes in the house at one point during my youth, and that made a statement to me, too. I guess that Slim was good and getting there Fast was better?
So during my high school years, I was an obnoxious shit, I admit it. I made fat jokes. I was generally unkind toward any heavy people. I think not often to their faces. But now I am aware that covert hatred and disgust still have an effect, just like my mom's covert weight loss attempts had an effect on me even among the positive messages they tried to send.
In university, I changed tacks to the now-terribly-popular concern trolling. "But it's not healthy!" I would cry.
If you're thinking right now "dammit, Lavinia, most people who are fat are NOT that way because of overeating!" Listen, dude, I know that now. I'm just sayin' that I have taken some time and some conscious thought to get to the level of understanding that I'm at now.
So what was it (other than just quitting being a judgey douchebag about the issue) that solidified my support of FA? Basically, it all crystallized for me as my interest in feminism and LGBTQI issues increased. Specifically, my fierce pro-choice stance.
Eventually this will get its own post, but to keep it concise, I believe that no one has the right to tell me what to do with my body. No one has the right to force or coerce me to become pregnant, no one has the right to force or coerce me to remain pregnant. You've heard the phrase "your right to swing your arm ends at the tip of my nose"? I believe that your right to swing your self-righteousness ends at my sexual organs.
Well, Lavinia, I said to myself, how do you figure that anyone has the right to tell anyone else what they eat? You know what, Lavinia? I said back to myself, you are right, I am being a complete and utter hateful douche canoe about this. No one is hurting me by being fat, regardless of why they are fat. So how could I convince myself that faux concern for the health of others was any different than the "for her own good" attitude of EVERYONE to my desire and right to not have any babies?
I couldn't. So that, in short, is where I am at regarding FA. My goal is to educate myself more, try to be actively aware of my thin privilege (which I believe will also have a separate post, because I think they are related but still very different), and make sure that I don't let it drive my interactions in such an assy way.
ETA: If anyone has any interest in reading more about FA, I recommend Kate Harding and the Shapely Prose gang, and of course, Shakesville.
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