How to Grow an Organization From the Ground
This past weekend, blogging once again proved that it could be a genesis for and point of activism.
Kell Brigan posted a brainstorming session about what we can all do in the real world to promote fat rights. This isn't a "I wish organization x/y/z would do a/b/c" post; rather it's a straightforward punch list. I wanted to highlight a couple of 'em.
* A group providing free research and educational materials (brochures, etc.) for parents or employees facing fat-related discrimination in the workplace & in schools
Absolutely. This is vital. This was one of the original goals behind the mostly-now-sleeping Big Fat Facts, although that was shooting more for a quick, easy, one-page takeaway of facts and figures that dispel The Usual Crap about fat. Big Fat Facts was written by an awesome group of folks a couple of years back, and has received only modest updates since then. One of the best ideas that came out of the Big Fat Facts discussion was to turn it into a wiki. Part of the problem, though, is that wikis are open to the public and therefore prone to trolls/vandals/etc. Thus the implementation didn't get very far. I'm open to other ideas on this for sure. (And, I'm not opposed to keeping it to within BFB's membership at all but I can understand why others would be.)
* A national group with state chapters dedicating to challenging State-level public health campaigns which are prepetuating junk science and lies about fat people. Challenges would include lobbying, meetings with public health officials, public debates, protests, literature hand-outs in front of government headquarters, __________
This is in my estimation the most vital group and also the most difficult, as we would need lobbyists and similar folks. We can recruit!
Now moving on to one more key point in her post:
Really, really, really get behind International No Diet Day.
Yes, absolutely. Last year I floated the idea of taking ownership of INDD in the Forums here and people are definitely up for it. However, INDD came around and... well... nothing happened. Part of the reason for that (within the BFB community) is my fault for not trumpeting it and making it a hard and fast goal, so my apologies.
The INDD promotion/touchstone concept was echoed by Brian at Red No. 3 and, in turn, Kell posted a timeline of tasks and duties leading up to INDD (along with a post with a couple of BFB potshots, sigh) that is helpful and can be used towards doing this For Real.
I totally disagree with the anti-website tone of Kell's posts, though. Simplifying the impact of blogs down to the point of saying, "We don't need to discuss blog designs" is a tad insulting to me because, hello, I make websites. I do understand and agree with the greater message that this needs to be a campaign that is both online and offline - it does. In fact, Sheana at seeworthy.org went ahead and offered to host a fat think tank in the spring in San Diego. Sheana, in turn, posted a list of more ideas including this:
Marianne posted about this awhile back, and at the time I didn’t entirely get behind it - and then I realized it was me still perpetuating fat oppression (yeah, even against myself). We need to get fat people together in public. Go bowling, volunteer at a shelter, go to a baseball game. Be visible, and don’t fucking be ashamed to eat while you’re in public. People who aren’t fat are allowed to socialize and eat - why the hell aren’t we? So if you hear about a fat event, go. It’s supporting your community. Even if you hate bowling, or you know nothing about baseball. As long as you’re not supporting the Yankees.
Excellent.
I'd like to note that there's going to be a (small) think tank later this month in Chicago with me and a few BFBers; my intention with this was just to dip my toe in the water and see what the reception would be. So I'll throw out the bigger question and see if anyone would be interested in a bigger think tank come September or October. If you are, please, post a comment.
I'll be ruminating on these posts today and will post some more thoughts shortly. But, in any case, it's encouraging to see the organization phase actually happening.
BFB is Seven! | 12-Year-Old Has Lap Band Surgery
Posted by paul on August 6, 2007
I really am excited that so many ideas are floating around and things are really gaining momentum. I would love to participate in any upcoming think tanks. I believe there are lots of ways to combine technology with in-person activism. Awhile back I remember someone on the Fat Studies list suggesting we hold fat mobs, in a similar fashion to flash mobs. Anyway...
I didn't advertise it here because I thought word had gotten around and a lot of people did join up, but I started a group called MAFRAD or Media Advocacy for Fat Representation and Anti-Defamation. Our main goal is to create a Media Reference Guide similar to the one produced by GLAAD, set up a website for the group, and hold a media campaign once it is finished. I held the initial brainstorming session at the NAAFA conference, but the group is open to all fat activists and allies who want to help. The work to be done mostly involves writing, but obviously we'll need help with the website and the media campaign. Right now committees are getting ready to collaborate on the writing process. Lots of people joined the group, but it seems that only a select few are able to help out right now. If anyone is truly interested in working on this project with us or would just like to hear more, feel free to contact me at sevendayswonder at yahoo dot com. (Paul, hope it wasn't inappropriate to post this.)
I would love to hear about ideas that others have and things they are doing or planning regarding fat activism. These are exciting times, but we have to keep it up and see things through.
I'm delighted to see new and improved approaches to fat activism being discussed here and on other FA sites. Just posted these comments on seeworthy and Kell Brigan's site, and thought it would be appropriate to add them here on BFB
I think I'm older than many of you posting on these sites (55 yrs) and was involved in all the major human rights / social justice movements of the 60s and 70s (they continued, I burned out). Since recently becoming seriously interested in being a fat activist, I've asked myself what this effort does and does not have in common with the movements of the past. I think the most important differences are these:
1) There is no fat community -- I realize that NAAFA and the many online sites have a loyal, active following of thousands around the world. But there is no hard and fast constituency in the same way that people of color, women and gays have already-defined communities of people who believe in the rightness of their own liberation.
Which leads me to...
2) Most fat people hate fat -- They hate it in themselves, they hate it in others, they buy into all the anti-fat and pro-diet propaganda. It's very hard to organize people who don't believe in their own cause -- indeed, are convinced that those who defend fat are sick, crazy, and at the very least, in denial about our "problem."
3) We have no natural allies, no highly visible & charismatic leaders, no professional lobbyists -- Please, I mean NO disrespect to those who have been working diligently on this issue for many years. But I know of no other movement that would take fat acceptance seriously and fold it in with their own. Many of our own friends and relatives aren't behind us. And we have no equivalent of an Al Gore, a Gloria Steinem, etc. It's very difficult to make much headway when you're working without a net, and a network.
4) Anti-fat attitudes permeate every aspect of culture in most of the world and have done so for hundreds of years -- I've always been mindful of anti-fat messages and images in film, TV, and daily life as a whole, but now that I've had my FA epiphany, I see it all the more, everywhere, all the time. It’s in the air!
Having listed these dreary obstacles, I hasten to add that I firmly believe fat acceptance is a viable concept and offers many important messages, both to fat people and the larger world. I think the brainstorming ideas currently posited here and on other fat sites are excellent. I appreciate that progress has already been made and there are further inroads to come. But there's no escaping the fact that certain core ideas about fat -- it's ugly, it's unhealthy, fat people are lazy & self indulgent, diets work -- are virtually universally accepted as gospel and that’s a tough nut to crack.
I'll close by saying that so far, my brief and limited activism has been limited to speaking out online. But as someone with a strong background in activism and organizing, as well as a 30+ year career as a writer and communications consultant, I'm ready, willing and able to put my skill and experience to further work. For a variety of reasons, I very rarely leave my apartment -- but thanks to email, the Internet, the telephone and the post office, I have many ways to communicate, participate and contribute. I'll keep reading and blogging and looking for ways to better do my part. If there are folks out there working on definite projects you think I could be useful in, please let me know. [Note to: sevendayswonder: I'm emailing you directly]
Just want to echo the MAFRAD celebration - there's tons of mobilizing going on in the discussion group there, so I think that'll be an excellent project.
As for the larger tank in Chicago... if there's any way I can scrape together the funds, I'll definitely come. It might be useful to have a thread in the forums for folks looking for rideshares/couches to sleep on/other stuff. Are you thinking a huge one-day meeting, or a weekend of getting together and hashing out ideas and stuff?
MizB has some excellent points but I think there is one other issue we have to keep in mind that other movements didn’t have so much.
I call it the Weight Loss Industrial Complex (we all know who they are; drug companies, supplement manufacturers, surgeons and purveyors of all the assorted diet plans on TV, the internet and books) and they have a vested interest in suppressing, denying, shouting down and otherwise thwarting some of our most important points.
I think because of what we want to do (and are doing), we can expect them to play both rough and dirty once we get to a point where they can no longer afford to ignore us.
Is the think tank an open invite? I'm a Chicago local, and I'm itching to get into some activism, and I'd love to get involved somehow. If not, totally put me on the list to pitch in with any efforts when support is needed.
I'd also like to agree with the concerns raised by MizB; I think those obstacles are pretty intense hurdles to overcome. In the little bit of rabble-rousing I've started to do, I've already gotten a lot of pushback and heckling, most of it from fat people telling me my efforts would be better directed to helping people embrace 'lifestyle change." Not that it's stopping me, but it definitely demonstrates to me how ginormous the task at hand really is.
Also, I think real world action and electronic efforts are both critical. I think that blogging, etc. is such a tremendous tool for spreading the word far and wide, and I can't think of any other media tool that's so accessible and powerful. However, I know that I personally am interested in doing something a little more direct and confrontational; I'm still trying to figure out what that looks like, but I know it's key to my happiness with my own connection to fat activism.
Well, Let me first say that blogs do make a difference. They change people's minds, slowly but surely. And, slowly but surely, they also build communities.
I also need to say that self loathing is our enemy as much as fat oppression is. A major part of any campaign to improve the lives of fat people, must include efforts to eliminate self loathing. I think this last situation with Danza Voluminosa is a defining point. When these things come up, I do think we need representatives that are will to go and sit down with these people, and present a convincing case for these public figures.
I also think a retreat for a week, meant to disrupt the self loathing cycle would be beneficial. I don't know how this might work, or who might attend, but, it could be a strong way to lobby candidates and politicians, as well as many other public officials.
Also, as a teacher, I've struggled for years to find the resources and support materials to appropriately address the needs of the students I teach. This young generation is the most malleable, and in the most dire need of intervention. Addressing this need is critical. I have to say, as a teacher, the abuse of overweight children would be eligible for criminal prosecution, if it were any other minority, yet many teachers feel it is no big deal. It is an area that overlooked, and must be considered.
The LGBT rights movement has a sticker for teachers, that let's students know that it is ok for an LGBT student to talk to them. I think this is also a good idea for overweight people. Well, let's face it, when an overweight teen opens up to a teacher, the last thing they want to hear is that they need to diet.
I also think the fat acceptance movement has to make contact with groups like the ACLU, so that when things get heated, the fat acceptance movement has the backup it needs in the legal world.
Some time ago, I tried to sell pins that signified fat acceptance. It would be a badge, a way of identifying like minded people. . . a way to unite. Unfortunately, I only sold 12. I am open to ideas. I'd be willing to sell them again, if there was a possible market for them. Any profit I made on them could be donated to causes benefitting fat acceptance.
I think the Chicago Think Tank is a great idea, and I am so disappointed I cannot attend. I wish you all luck with this, and I encourage you to keep me in mind. I'd gladly do what I can to help.
I think it's a little over-simplified to say the fat acceptance movement has NO natural allies. There are some natural allies in the feminist community, women who are doing work around body diversity, body image issues, size acceptance and so on (Suzy Orbach, Carol Munter, and many others).
But, there are plenty of feminists who buy into the "fat is bad" message, too. I'm thinking of when Ms. Magazine ran an interview with Susan Powter, for intance.
I do agree that there are natural allies within feminism, but... Susie Orbach? Author of Fat is a Feminist Issue (and it's sequel)? That book had some of the most fat-phobic, offensive tripe - veiled in a "solution" to oppression - that I've ever read.
I'm thinking this would be a one-day workshop/etc., and October looks more practical than September right now. I'm looking at ideas for meeting spaces (physical ones) right now - if anyone has suggestions, please, chime in.
And yes, it would be an open invite! The mini-tank in August isn't, but again, that's a toe-in-the-water thing.
I'd be interested in coming, depends on the exact date. Big Moves has a metric shit-ton of stuff happening in end of September and throughout October. But over the last two days I have had a serious epiphany about the urgency of dealing with some bad stuff in our culture, size oppression being in the top two on my list. In my own work through dance and performance, I'm definitely stepping up the intensity with which I'm addressing size oppression EXPLICITLY, through our original musicals and other performances. In addition to that, I want to try to get more involved with the larger advocacy community, to whatever extent I can help.
Anyway, if I can't get to this thinktank, I'd be keeping track of future options to attend. Culture and art and dance are important in creating the revolution!
Marina
Based on the post above this (12 year old having WLS) I'd say the most important battle any fat acceptance organisation could fight right now has to be in schools and targetted at young people. This is where the fat haters are concentrating their energies more than anywhere else; a propaganda war against young people by those who really should know better. I agree with squurp that an obvious (but not too obvious) way for students to identify fat-friendly adults and potential allies would in itself be a big step forward, but it would have to be in conjunction with some sort of targetted campaign to actually raise awareness of an alternative approach.
Right now the 'fat=bad' message is being pushed with such intensity in schools that i can't imagine many kids even being coming across the idea that fat might not be so terrible, let alone having the chance to assess its validity. And no doubt teachers who deviated from 'the message' on obesity to support fat children would quickly find themselves condemned as irresponsible, encouraging and legitimising an unhealthy lifestyle and undermining the 'tough love' approach of the medical and political establishment - as such they'd need to have the backing of a strong, unified movement and a few salvos of their own with which to retaliate. It's a dangerous game in a culture of paranoid parenting where only the 'correct' approved views can be allowed to reach young minds.
As for activism, I tend to be neither a joiner nor a leader but given my frustration at the apparent lack of progress on this issue I would make an exception to both. Most people in my life are now aware of my strong beliefs on fat politics, hence I've little left to lose by publicly allying myself to the cause. However I'm in the UK where despite constant media and policy attacks on fat people even online discussion seems yet to have made any sort of impression., and opportunities for activism are limited to put it mildly. Ultimately I'd love to see the supposedly balanced BBC presenting opposing views from a fat acceptance representative as part of their coverage of 'obesity' stories as they do in every other social policy topic, but I'm not under any illusion it will ever happen as there seems to be little chance of a viable movement emerging here.
I'm in the UK too, and Chicago is out of the question for me, but I'd like to start making a bigger impact. I don't actually get as much harassment here in person, but there are so many examples of fat discrimination that it just depresses me to think about it.
And speaking of depression, I think that the point made above is very apt:
I also need to say that self loathing is our enemy as much as fat oppression is. A major part of any campaign to improve the lives of fat people, must include efforts to eliminate self loathing.
We can't make much headway unless we have a strong movement, and we can't really be a strong movement if we are still internalizing the messages that we are somehow wrong. I don't have any bright ideas at the moment but I agree that this is something that really needs to be addressed.