Hi friend,
I’m still over a month behind on all my work due to waves hand at the HAES events of 2022, and I’m still a high-risk person trying to survive a pandemic, so I have nothing intelligent to say about the Supreme Court trashing Roe v. Wade except:
- Abortion is a human right
- Abortion cannot be magically replaced by Plan B for fat people
- Plan B is less effective for anyone over ~165 pounds. Ella only goes up to 195 pounds
- How much less effective? We don’t know, it hasn’t been studied
- Contraceptives are also not the answer, since they do fail
- Fighting for abortion is also an act of allyship to fat folks specifically
Some food for thought this week:
Are we ashamed of our pooches, our belly rolls, our protruding tummies, our soft bellies because they're objectively ugly? Or is it because bellies are also our cultural shorthand for greed and gluttony?
Is it because those bellies are shown in endless illustrations for news pieces and articles about obesity, as the visible symbol of a lack of willpower?
Is it because our bellies are not only a symbol, but the symbol most closely linked to our "bad," "weak" physical stomachs that insist on being fed despite the culture that tells us we cannot both eat and be good, in our bodies or morals or souls?
On May 14, I'll be on Zoom live with Juicy D. Light and Chrystal Bougon talking about boudoir photography and bodily autonomy! You can
register here.
On May 18, I'm talking about building size-inclusive businesses for Everybody Belongs in Bozeman (Montana), though you don't have to be in Montana to tune in.
The Eating Disorder Center of Montana (EDCMT) is partnering with other local Bozeman businesses to highlight the importance of having a body inclusive community and that we all belong in Bozeman, no matter the shape or size of our body. The “Every BODY Belongs in Bozeman” campaign is a week-long community initiative and fundraiser, taking place May 15-21st, 2022, during Mental Health Awareness month.
The week will include in-person and virtual events, special Every BODY Belongs in Bozeman cookies for sale at Wild Crumb, learning opportunities, as well as a virtual silent auction. All proceeds will be donated to Suffer Out Loud and Project HEAL.
Suffer Out Loud is a local non-profit working to end suicide in Montana. Eating disorder sufferers are at greater risk of suicide, and Suffer Out Loud is an incredible, local resource.
Project Heal is a national non-profit that helps eating disorder patients access care. There are often multiple barriers to receiving eating disorder treatment, and those most marginalized often struggle to access and pay for care. Project Heal is working to remove those barriers.
My friend Elizabeth was searching for a way to support the fat community through this time, and found a lovely way to do so.
I'll let her tell you in her own words:
“The fat activist community has been doing even more labor than usual lately, and I’ve been trying to think of a good way to support this generous work and the beautiful people doing it.
If you’ve been wanting to start a mindfulness meditation practice but feel unsure of where to start, this is for you.
If you’ve never wanted to meditate, but you’d like to sit in community for a few minutes each week with others who are working to change the world, this is for you.
If you’re an experienced meditator in need of a little burst of community, this is for you.
Every Wednesday beginning May 4, until further notice, I will host a 15 minute trauma-informed guided practice space on Zoom at 12 EST. There is no fee.
Sign up and I’ll send you a link."
And finally, a tip for choosing and using stock photos:
Think about who your customers are, and who you want to be your customers.
If your customers are uniformly thin or average-sized, could it be because your advertising and website only depict thin folks?
If your customers are uniformly white, could it be because your advertising and website only depict white folks?
Try branching out and using images that depict a larger variety of people; everyone likes to see themselves represented.
Warmly,
Lindley
P.S. Share this week's letter or save to read later 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. 
