Thin privilege is the ability to forget that fat people exist.
Despite there being more fat people in the United States than thin people, thin folks like to act like — and occasionally seem to believe that — we simply don’t exist. Living in a thin body is to exist in a bubble where everyone with a body unlike yours is invisible.
Thin people won’t produce clothing we can wear. They don’t allow us to hold positions of power. They won’t accept our dead bodies for scientific study, and won’t include our living bodies in studies either. We’re excluded from universities, airplanes, dining rooms and waiting rooms. Birth control dosages and vehicle seat belt lengths don’t take us into account.
When we remind thin people we exist, we’re called pushy attention-seekers. When we get impatient at being erased yet again, we’re called bullies.
Every time, thin people seem startled (and, some of the time, furious) to recall our existence. And because fat people have very little social, cultural or political power, we’re at thin people’s mercy.
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Hi there! I'm Lindley. I create artwork that celebrates the unique beauty of bodies that fall outside conventional "beauty" standards at Body Liberation Photography. I'm also the creator of Body Liberation Stock and the Body Love Shop, a curated central resource for body-friendly artwork and products. Find all my work here at bodyliberationphotos.com.
