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My offering for you this week: 25+ people have downloaded my new workbook, and they're finding it very useful. Ali Owens says, 

 

“Those looking to unpack weight stigma and begin (or continue) the process of unlearning fatphobia - check out this workbook by Lindley Ashline! She consistently produces incredible content pushing back against weight stigma and advocating for those of us who navigate the world in fat bodies.”

 

Grab your copy of the workbook: https://bodyliberationphotos.com/product/unpacking-weight-stigma-i-a-workbook-for-fat-allies-and-health-at-every-size-practitioners/

Hi friend,

 

Whose responsibility is it to fix fatphobia and weight stigma?

 

When I speak about fatphobic clothing companies that lie about being “inclusive” or would rather file for bankruptcy than take my money, thin people ask me, “Have you contacted the company?”

 

When I speak about weight stigma in healthcare, thin people ask me, “Have you tried advocating for yourself at the doctor?”

 

When I speak about fatphobic authors, thin people ask me, “Have you reached out to them?”

 

I could show you the dozens of unanswered emails I’ve sent, the snarky responses I’ve received, the brick walls I’ve run into. But it’s not my job to convince oppressors to stop oppressing me.

 

It will always be the duty of oppressors to stop oppressing. I do this work because I want to accelerate that process, not because it’s my responsibility as a person who is oppressed.

 

If you want to see change in the world, there is one person to look to: you.

 

Don’t look to fat folks; we’re already changing the world by defiantly existing in our bodies, and our survival requires more inherent activism than you’ll ever know.

 

(And, of course, many fat folks are also intentional activists in one or more areas as well.)

 

We’re also not more inherently capable or qualified to do this kind of outreach work than you are. In fact, you have the advantage here:

 

– You are inherently more likely to be listened to due to your thin privilege


– You won’t be seen as “too emotional” or “just making up excuses for being fat”

 

There is no fat activism gatekeeper. There is no one to give you permission, so stop waiting for it. Just go do the thing.

 

On replacements for the works of fatphobic authors

 

Several of y'all sent me great suggestions, thank you! People are particularly hungry for exact replacements for the work of Brene Brown, and sadly that doesn't seem to exist. Reader Shawna Gamache says, however (quoted with permission):

 

“It's hard to find an exact replacement. Everyone else has a more intersectional focus. It almost makes you wonder if that unique brand of empowerment that is so appealing to thin, white, cis, able-bodied women might be missing an essential component of the conversation :).”

 

Something to consider. (Also a complete mic drop moment from Shawna.)

 

Here are some authors you might choose to spend your time with:

  • Sonya Renee Taylor
  • Virgie Tovar
  • Christy Harrison
  • Emily Nagoski

And if you're interested in the intersection of spirituality and fatphobia, check out Fat Torah.

Warmly,
Lindley

 

P.S. If you'd like to share this week's letter, it exists in blog form here.

My favorite image this week:

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Image description: A fat Hawaiian woman with brown skin and black hair lifts a long pearl necklace toward a cloudy sky and blue water.

Recent from Me

The Conversation

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Image description: A fat woman stands with her arms raised in front of a window.

🕊️ Nature gave me wings. Who are you to bid me hide them? 🕊️

 

There’s a new print of my work available in the Body Love Shop! The woman in this photograph has glorious wings on her arms that she lifts towards the ceiling, looking out a window into a large covered open space, in this black-and-white-photograph. She is fat, has long hair pinned into a bun and is wearing a sleeveless dress.

 

These prints make wonderful additions to the walls of your home or office. They look great tacked to your fridge or propped up on a table, mantel or desk, and they’re

fantastic gifts for friends or lovers.

 

Yoga studios, Health at Every Size (HAES)-aligned therapists, healthcare providers, massage therapists, fitness facilities, trainers, coaches and others also hang these pictures to make clear the welcoming and inclusive nature of their businesses. (Don’t have physical walls right now? Consider how they’d look in the background of your Zoom calls.)

 

The fine art prints I offer come in two different styles:

 

🖼️ Matted Fuji pearl prints (5×7″ and 8×10″), which feature sharp detail, high-intensity colors and a distinctive pearl-like sheen

 

🖼️ Thin wrap (11×14″ and 24×36″), an extremely lightweight and wall-friendly print that “floats” on your wall

 

I order, hand mat and sign, and send each print directly to your doorstep. (Want a larger size? Email me at lindley@bodyliberationphotos.com.)

 

I’m a professional photographer based in Seattle, WA. I create artwork that celebrates the unique beauty of bodies that fall outside conventional “beauty” standards. My work is both body-positive and fat-positive, and is known for its rich colors and focus on bodies as they exist in the world without retouching.

Quick Resources: 5 Food Psych Podcast Episodes for Diet Recovery

Hi! I'm Lindley.

- she/her

- photographer

- author

 

Image description: Lindley, a fat white woman, is shown sitting in a cafe with salmon-pink walls. She has shoulder-length blonde hair and glasses, and is wearing a black top with a translucent blue-and-white patterned jacket. Her hands are on the tabletop in front of her.

Hi! I'm Lindley.

 

I'm a professional photographer (she/her, pronounced LIN-lee) who celebrates the unique beauty of bodies that fall outside conventional "beauty" standards. I live outside Seattle, WA. 

 

I talk about and photograph fat folks because representation of large bodies in the world is vital to our body liberation.

 

 

People come to me for:

  • Body-safe portrait, boudoir and small business photography sessions
  • Diverse, body-positive stock photos
  • Fat fine art photographic prints
  • Health at Every Size (HAES)-aligned consulting, writing and editing
  • The Body Love Shop, a curated resource for body-positive and fat-positive art and products

Pssst! Did a friend forward you this email? If you'd like to get your own body liberation guide every week, just drop your email address here.

 

You're on this list because you're a current or past client or customer, or you signed up on my website.

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