Hi friend,
When I was more active in the Health at Every Size® community, and constantly speaking up for fat people and fat patients in healthcare provider groups, people would often message me privately and tell me how grateful they were that I was fighting for them.
The private support was nice, but years of becoming increasingly Controversial(â„¢) were increasingly unsustainable, and after what I’ve taken to calling Lindogeddon, I was broken. I spent two years not being able to write in-depth pieces, or push my thinking forward, or create much new art.
Consequences.
My health also suffered. A tendon injury in my wrist, caused by stress, put me completely out of commission for five months. I added another blood pressure medication to my regimen.
During all this, the number of healthcare providers I could work with as a superfat person narrowed even more, because I’ve become so Controversial(â„¢) in my own city that I can’t trust that any given relatively weight-neutral provider wasn’t trashing me in provider circles.
(A few healthcare providers in my geographic area have trashed me publicly as well, with little to no pushback from other providers. Talk about a disincentive for seeking care.)
I’m a naturally trusting person, but being punished long and loud (and quietly and in whispers) for being a thorn in the conscience of a community takes its toll. I can no longer tell what’s a coincidence, what’s generic rudeness and what’s aimed at me personally.
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.