[Note from Cindy: when I saw this information about Fat Liberation, I was so appreciative of how thoughtful it was and how it was framed that I asked Lex for permission to make it into a series of blog posts on my website. They generously agreed. So please enjoy this series. I hope you find it inspiring and helpful, as I did. Don’t forget to check out Part 1 of this series.]

Because many fat liberationists have experienced so many forms of overt and covert disgust within a wide range of relational contexts, we are likely to feel humiliated, alienated, disgusting, repulsive, degraded in a number of diverse, idiosyncratic ways in various relational contexts.

To mitigate that dynamic, we need the people with whom we are in intimate relationship to celebrate and engage a robust deconstruction of fatphobic myths, stereotypes, tropes, attitudes/biases/emotions, and relational patterns.

We also need people to familiarize themselves with and celebrate the various wisdoms of fat liberation with curiosity and wonder in such a way that not only stops doing the harm that is being done but also actively works to redress the harm that has already been done. Such wisdom includes:

• the multiplicitous link between marginalization, trauma, and physical health/illness
• the explicit valuing of somatic presence and making peace with one’s body – and the wisdom and resilience that comes from learning to cultivate it even in the face of extreme stigma
• the deconstructing of the idea that pleasure is dangerous or sinful and that “disciplining” the body is somehow inherently virtuous
• the emotional posture of surrender and learning how to compassionately accept what is
• development of the courage and ego strength necessary to maintain a sense of personal dignity in the face of societal degradation.

Next in series: Mitigation of Gaslighting

Lex Vriend (he/they) is a lover of trees, social justice, deep questions, fossil hunting, dance rituals, mushrooms, poetry, emotional intimacy, epistemic humility, and humans who revel in their weirdness. Lex is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice in Fort Worth, TX. He is passionate about integrating psychological models with frameworks of intersectional social justice, cultural difference, and ecological wholeness.