Here’s what’s interesting me this week in body liberation and more: » Join our new group – Let Us Eat Cake! – to learn more about intuitive eating by going through the book together with like-minded folks while building community and support in an anti-diet, body liberation focused space! – Group starts on March 5,…
Here’s what’s interesting me this week in body liberation and more: » March 15 deadline: Fatness, Queerness, and Neurodivergent Narratives of Intersectional Identities in Media and Pop Culture (see) » The Hot Fat Guy Club: Cultivating Confidence with Alex Frankel (listen) » When I asked people in the #AskThePatient community if they’ve been told to…
Hi friend, How are you feeling about the new Patreon membership tiers? In case you missed it, last week I adjusted the subscription tiers and pricing to better help me support you. That change is also letting me start planning more exciting events for the rest of the year, starting with having Kayla Stansberry in to talk about fat trauma…
Here’s what’s interesting me this week in body liberation and more: » Find your fat-positive fertility community where you’ll get personalised support, exclusive content, and connect with other fat folks navigating their fertility journeys together.* » Coming up: Beyond Body Positivity: An Introduction to Body Liberation as Collective Healing (see) » Coming up: Intro to…
Hi friend, I hope you had a restful holiday season. I was able to have a nice little reset that’s informing my plans for 2025 and making me determined to bring more of that spaciousness into my everyday life. As I’ve planned for this year, so often what’s come up for me is, how do I…
» Subscribe to Amanda Martinez Beck’s Substack, The Fat Dispatch* (see) » I feel like all the abuse fat people put up with in the name of “I’m just worried about your health” has been shown for the lie that always was because if people were all that worried about actual health, the last four…
Hi friend, I know there’s a major American holiday to go before we hit January 1, but I’m taking a couple of weeks off, so I want you to have and hang onto this guide for when you need it. I’ll next see you with a new Body Liberation Guide in mid-January. Depending on your…
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Depending on your personality and life commitments, the turning of the year may be a time for deep peace and reflection or a wild whirl of parties and celebrations. But as New Year’s Day approaches, many of us are becoming more aware of the day’s ever-present accompaniment: Resolutions. New Year’s resolutions are by their very…
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Here’s what’s interesting me this week in body liberation and more: » Applications are now open for FATTI, our first ever Fat Torah Teacher Training Institute (see) » How to Ethically Engage Fat People in HCI Research (read) » Sign up for Ilya Parker’s Decolonizing Fitness newsletter (see) » Hey non-fat friends! If you want…
Hi friend, I’m taking a little time off this week, so no main letter from me. Next week, I’ll send you my guide for setting boundaries over the holidays. In the meantime: 1. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to present on race, body image and sexuality at the Seattle Erotic Art Festival, or SEAF….
Here’s what’s interesting me this week in body liberation and more: » Heads up: Ash Marrow, RCC has immediate availability for firmly fat positive mental health support for Canadian clients in BC, MB, SK, NL, YT, NT, NU. Specialties include complex trauma, disordered substance use, disordered eating, body liberation, grief work, and end of life…
Hi friend, Last week was kind of wild over here. A windstorm hit the Seattle area that left half a million people without power and did widespread damage. We were without power for a few days and have some tree damage to our deck, but we’re safe and back home and I’m thankful. This week,…
» Participation opportunity: Recruiting folx living in larger bodies for research (see) » “I tried to educate people about tariffs, I tried to explain that undocumented immigrants pay billions in taxes and are the foundation of this country. I explained Project 2025, I interviewed to show that they supported it. I can not compete against…
Hi friend, I really admire people who can sit down immediately after an event and write thorough analyses of it, but I’m not one of them. Synthesis* is one of my superpowers, but for me it takes time to simmer and surface. So I don’t have any long, thoughtful piece for you on Trump’s re-election…
Here’s what’s interesting me this week in body liberation and more: » Coming up: Dealing with Diet Culture and Weight Stigma at the Holidays, November 13 (see) » The right for fat people to exist free of bigotry should not hinge on their health status. (read) » Scary statistics about weight stigma and antifat bias…
Hi friend, This weekend is my last set of events of the year, and I have offerings for you on both days! Fat Trauma: Healing though Community and Fat Joy How to attend: Buy access to this event or subscribe for all Blanket Fort events On Saturday, fat-positive therapist Kayla Stansberry is speaking to my Blanket Fort members about…
Here’s what’s interesting me this week in body liberation and more: » I’m so glad to see SmartGlamour is back! Free event in New York City, Nov. 1 (see) » Allyship opportunity: Help Mark get top surgery (see) » Allyship opportunity: Sign the petition to Southwest Airlines asking them to clarify their stance on their…
Hi friend, I spent last weekend on a gorgeous island outside Vancouver, British Columbia, eating pastries and photographing this adorable couple. I can’t wait to show you more of the finished images! Now, to this week’s letter: You are worthy of rest. Up until a few years ago, I was forever getting sick, mostly colds…
Here’s what’s interesting me this week in body liberation and more: » Heaven, Hell, & Holy Body Norms (read) » Halloween Costume Feelings (read) » Empowering Parents through Fat Liberation with Laurie Ganberg, LICSW (listen) » A very simple but important distinction to keep clear! Kindness does not necessarily indicate competence (watch) » Lululemon’s billionaire…
Hi friend, There are so many reasons why fat people are hated, but today, let’s look at just one: profit. Who profits when fat people are considered second-class humans? The diet industry. Worth $72 billion in 2020, the diet industry is one of the obvious culprits in this list. They still haven’t figured out how to…
Here’s what’s interesting me this week in body liberation and more: » Allyship opportunity: Help keep this fat-positive care collective open (see) » my thighs are the size that they are. my knees do not GO all the way together without extreme discomfort. (read) » Our First Year: A zine by Fat Club Brighton (see)…
Hi friend, We’re trying something new this week. I’m adding writings like these to a new collection in the Body Liberation Blanket Fort Patreon, and buying access to the collection will give you access to this and every other piece that’s added to that collection in the future. (Or, subscribe to the Patreon and get…
Hi friend, I am freaking delighted to share this new Body Liberation Stock collection with you: a set of original, exclusive images from artist Kat Max. Kat (who you may have known in the past as Kathryn Hack) is one of the fat-positive artists whose work I admire most, and it’s such an honor to collaborate with her….
Hi friend, Project Heal asked me to weigh in (pun intended) for Weight Stigma Awareness Week on a topic I’d been meaning to revisit: body positivity versus body liberation. What’s the difference, and why does it matter? Here’s a short excerpt: After centuries of racism-driven weight stigma, 75 years of diet culture telling us that…
Hi friend, This month, we’re having a pretty special event in the Body Liberation Blanket Fort. Dalia Kinsey, author of Decolonizing Wellness, will be leading a discussion circle on Saturday, September 28 for healthcare providers to: Our experiences with our own bodies are reflected in the way we interact with patients and clients, so show up…
Hi friend, There’s a new supporter reward in the Blanket Fort this week – Resources & Recs: Healthcare Providers! This is an ongoing reference of existing weight-neutral and Health at Every Size®-aligned healthcare provider directories, as well as specific recommendations for doctors and other healthcare pros. It’s very US-heavy right now, but I’d love to see…
Hi friend, Today’s letter is the third in a four-part series (here are parts one and two). Bodies as business cards When our bodies are our business cards, the more those bodies are outside our cultural aspirations, the fewer people will want to buy. (And of course no business is going to appeal to everyone; how on earth…
Hi friend, The website is back up, and should be faster! There were a few different issues I spent part of the week fixing, but it has a nice new look and speed now. It’s not perfect**, but for a one-person business, I’m so proud of it. Now to this week’s letter: In last week’s letter, I talked…
Hi friend, There’s a quote that I keep coming back to over time: stop breaking yourself into bite size pieces for someone; stay whole and let them choke It’s useful as a reminder that my whole self has worth and value, no matter whether other people find me palatable or useful in a capitalist world. But…
Hi friend, A quick note on the BLP website: The work that I thought would take me a week has dragged on, and on, and on. Insert someone who was supposed to be fixing the WordPress theme erasing chunks of the site entirely, days of the site being down altogether, and endless screaming. I hope…
Hi friend, The website maintenance continues, so expect the site to be extra quirky this week. And on Friday, over in the Body Liberation Blanket Fort we’ll be watching the Your Fat Friend documentary together and having a discussion afterward. Now, to this week’s letter, an interview with fat artist Angelica Dred! Tell me about you! What’s your name?…
Hi friend, I have lots of updates for you this week! First, it’s such a cool opportunity and honor to be included in The Future is Fat issue of Womanly Mag! Pre-order your print issue here and support fat-positive media. Second, I’m working with a model next week to create new photographs for Body Liberation Stock. This time I’m…
Here are seven quick resources to start learning about body kindness and putting it into practice.
My first podcast guest appearance was on Christy Harrison’s podcast Food Psych, back in 2018. And I was terrified.
Hi friend, If you recall, back in April I did an art tour for the Seattle Erotic Art Festival called Aspirational Erotic: Body Size, Shame and Aesthetics. I thought you might be interested in how it went. This was my first time at both the festival and giving a talk of this sort, so afterward I was both proud…
Hi friend, I know we’re slightly out of Mermay now, but mythical creatures are forever, so I want to talk some more about fat merfolk. Through the kind service of Mermaid Chè Monique and the Society of Fat Mermaids, I was able to add the voices of lots of fat merfolk to An Ocean of Fat Merfolk. I also…
Hi friend, The initial lineup of events for the summer in the Body Liberation Blanket Fort is up! June 6: Movie Night with Silas June 15: Silent Reading Party with Lindley July 2: Discussion Group with Lindley July 25: Crafty Hangout August 4: Pacific Northwest In-Person (COVID Cautious) Meetup You can click on the tent graphic below to get access to…
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…
Welcome to the fat MerMay roundup! This month we’re celebrating fat merfolk — amazing fat humans who choose to dress as merpeople for fun and sometimes profit. Below you’ll find: A very grateful thanks to Mermaid Chè Monique and her community for their input and support! An Ocean of Fat Merfolk Tips from a Real…
Hi friend, There are a couple of updates to the Blanket Fort this week that I’m really excited about! Our Fort member Sage (he/him) has started a really cool channel called Fat Masculinity. Here’s Sage’s introduction to the channel: Hello friends! I asked if we could have a channel for conversations about how fatphobia interacts…
Hi friend, I’ll be giving an art tour at the Seattle Erotic Art Festival this Friday, April 26 at 8:30 pm! Come hang out with me for an hour for: Aspirational Erotic: Body Size, Shame and Aesthetics Join photographer and body liberation activist Lindley Ashline to explore the origins and history of body image and weight stigma, and which…
» Fat-Shaming Is the Norm in Our Kids’ Favorite Shows & It’s Making Them Hate Their Bodies After the kids went to bed, I put the episode back on and was horrified by what I saw. In addition to negative fat and diet talk, the episode features a fantasy sequence in which a circus performer invites people…
» Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach When it was first published, Intuitive Eating was revolutionary in its anti-dieting approach. The authors, both prominent health professionals in the field of nutrition and eating disorders, urge readers to embrace the goal of developing body positivity and reconnecting with one’s internal wisdom about eating―to unlearn everything they were taught…
Hi friend, How do you like the new look for the newsletter? I attended an email design webinar right before I traveled earlier this month, and it got me all excited about design again. Also, you have till Wednesday to enter the drawing for the Pan Eros Film Festival tickets! As someone deeply committed to…
» For Plus-Size Creators, Tiktok Presents a New Wave of Challenges TikTok also kept a separate list of “special users” who were considered to be “particularly vulnerable.” Many of the creators on this list, Netzpolitik discovered, made videos with the hashtags #fatwoman or #disabled, or had rainbow flags and other LGBTQ+ markers in their profile….
Hi friend, Today I’m thinking about the expression “take a load off.” It’s generally used to mean taking the metaphorical weight, the load, of daily burdens and cares off your shoulders and relax. Not all burdens can be set aside like that, though. The cognitive load of existing as a fat person is one of…
» Food Psych #185: How Diet Culture Hurts Your Relationships Health At Every Size® life coach Kristina Bruce joins us to discuss how diet culture can affect relationships, how to find self-trust and self-acceptance in recovering from disordered eating, how diet culture shows up in spiritual communities, why health and well-being is about so much more…
Hi friend, I was featured in Authority Magazine recently! It was pretty cool to get to talk at length about something vital to fat and other marginalized folks – community building. In a world where larger-bodied people are openly discriminated against, paid less, promoted less often, stereotyped, and shamed, activism and community building have also become an important…
