“Our bodies, they move, they morph, they shift. We do things with them, we show up with them. They do hold things that they shouldn’t have to hold, that they can’t hold… They have all these assignments, but who are you?” Da’Shaun L. Harrison “Who are you outside of your body?” — This is one...
Category: Body Politics
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“Belly of the Beast” Excerpt: The War on Drugs and the War on Obesity
The following is an excerpt from a chapter of Da’Shaun Harrison’s forthcoming book, Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness. In March 2004, during a news conference with widespread coverage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report that claimed that obesity was “killing 400,000 Americans a year,” and...
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With Reclaim U.G.L.Y., Vanessa Rochelle Lewis Is Imagining A Better World For Us All
Like so many Black queers and feminists before her, through Reclaim U.G.L.Y., Vanessa is doing the difficult labor of building towards a new world where we all can thrive. By Caleb Luna Vanessa Rochelle Lewis, in the genealogy of so many Black queers and feminists before her, is building another world through the Black feminist...
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The Capitalistic Work Ethic Fallacy Creates Space For Anti-Fatness and Biphobia
The Protestant Work Ethic mythos and its presumed moral superiority have taught us that discipline should be projected onto everything, including bodies and sexualities. By Maz Hedgehog One of the core myths of Anglo-American capitalism is the Protestant Work Ethic. The belief that Britain and America earned the wealth hoarded by their ruling classes through...
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Lizzo’s Body Is Not A Political Battlefront
White women crying in “disappointment” about Lizzo is nothing short of their belief that fat Black women should always tend to their wounds coming to the surface. CW: diet talk By Rasheed Ajamu “Body Positivity” icon Lizzo recently decided to partake in a “JJ Smith’s 10-day smoothie detox” and gave her social media following a...
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When ‘Moti’ And Unmarriageable Is All That You Are In South Asian Culture
The importance that South Asian culture places on marriage as an “achievement” for women convinced me that being Moti meant I was unworthy of being loved and desired. By Zahra Haider CW: Fatphobia, weight, misogyny, self-harm, disordered eating Shaadi and Moti are two words commonly heard throughout South Asia. The former means “marriage” and the...
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We Shouldn’t Have To Say This: Breasts, Areolae, and Nipples Vary In Appearance
It’s critical that we call out and interrogate the misogynoir at the forefront of people’s reactions to Cardi B’s breasts. By Sherronda J. Brown and Lara Witt We really shouldn’t have to even say this, but it’s a fact that breasts, nipples, and areolae vary in size, color, position, and shape, and even in texture....
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How Do You Treat An Eating Disorder So Few Know About?
There are no clear answers for ARFID. And many nationally-recognized facilities don’t have a dedicated curriculum for this disorder. CN/TW: this essay discusses Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), and eating disorders. By Ariana Drew Torres When I talk about my eating disorder, I always begin with the disclaimer, “You’ve probably never heard of it.” In...
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Not All Fat Black Boys Know How To Eat
Fat Black boys are failed by their doctors, failed by nutritionists, failed by a society that doesn’t see us as deserving of treatment and therapy. CW: mentions of eating disorders, medical discrimination, ob*sity, and more. I vividly remember multiple visits to my pediatrician that were centered solely around my eating. As with any parent, my...
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Celebrating Adele’s Weight “Loss” Promotes Fatphobia and Misogyny
It is necessary for us to seriously assess and wrestle with why we see Adele’s weight loss as inherently good. TW/CW: This article discusses weight change, dieting, eating disorders, and fatphobia. Adele “lost” (more) weight. I say “more” because when she revealed herself for the first time in a long time for Christmas, many people...