Hi friend, Here's one of the most important ways you can be a fat ally right now: Taking COVID precautions is an act of fat* allyship. Getting vaccinated and boosted is allyship. Staying home is allyship. Not eating in restaurants is allyship. Not flying or traveling is allyship. Not going to events, concerts, conventions and other crowded places is allyship. |
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You might be fine if you get sick, and you might have reason to expect perfectly reasonable treatment if you get sick enough to go to the hospital. But we fat people know that we won't be treated well if we get sick. Not only has the wave of fatness being blamed for COVID severity increased weight stigma in all contexts, including healthcare, we know from long experience that we'll receive subpar treatment in hospitals and be at high risk of deprioritization if triage is needed. |
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We don't even get good treatment when we go for vaccines and boosters. I asked for a longer needle when I got my booster recently, and the person giving the shots acted like I hadn't spoken, ignored my request completely and stuck the regular-length needle into my arm without even bothering to respond. (There's some guidance that says larger arms need larger needles to ensure the vaccine goes into muscle, not subcutaneous fat.) Fat people are not disposable. Protecting yourself helps protect us. Warmly,
Lindley *And allyship to disabled, BIPOC and other marginalized groups. P.S. You can share this week's letter here. It's only possible to offer the Body Liberation Guide and all its labor for free because people like you support it. If you find value here, please contribute for as little as $1 per month. Every dollar helps. |
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Here's what's being discussed this week in the world of body acceptance, Health at Every Size® (HAES), body positivity and fat liberation: |
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"When you go out into the woods and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn't get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don't get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree. The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying "You're too this, or I'm too this." That judging mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are." » Ram Dass |
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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. *These links are provided as a community service and I'm not compensated for any of them unless noted by an asterisk. Feel free to email me your fatphobia-free events for inclusion (must include a hyperlink to a post or page about the event). |
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