#52: What is fat activism?

with Virgie Tovar

listen here

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In this episode we discuss…

  • virgie’s philosophy “lose hate, not weight”

  • the idea that a fat person is a “failed thin person”

  • virgie’s introduction to the field of fat studies

  • the nuances and context of using the word “fat” as a descriptor

  • the history of fat activism, beginning in the 1960s

  • the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance and the Fat Underground

  • why virgie’s book is directed at young girls of color

  • a story about how virgie overcame her writer’s block

  • the need to acknowledge the imperfect world we live in and ways in which young girls of color in particular are disempowered

  • the impact of racism on one’s sense of self worth

  • sexism experienced by parents and caregivers

  • why parents should repeat body-positive messages even when it seems like they aren’t being heard

  • modeling a “no body shame, no food shame” policy

  • the impact of social determinants of health vs. individual health behaviors

  • virgie’s answer to the million dollar question

In our season 2 finale, author and activist Virgie Tovar shares about her philosophy to “lose hate, not weight,” discusses the history of fat activism, and explores the intersections between racism, sexism, and fatphobia. We also discuss why self-love is so essential for young girls of color. Parents will leave with tons of encouragement, suggestions, and inspiration to imagine the world you would like to live in.

Get our guide to body-positive parenting.

 

Virgie Tovar is the author of You Have the Right to Remain Fat, and the forthcoming book, The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color (out on May 1 but now available for pre-order!). She holds a Master's degree in Sexuality Studies with a focus on the intersections of body size, race and gender. She is a contributor for Forbes where she covers the plus-size market and how to end weight discrimination at work, and has been a Poynter fellow in journalism at Yale. She's been named one of the most influential feminists by Bitch Magazine, and started the hashtag campaign #LoseHateNotWeight  Her new podcast, Rebel Eaters Club, is New-York-based Transmitter Media's first original production and launches February 24. Virgie has been featured by the New York Times, Tech Insider, BBC, MTV, Al Jazeera, and NPR. She lives in San Francisco. 

Connect with Virgie on her website, Instagram, and her new podcast.

Resources mentioned:

Jordan Best