Size Bias, Fatphobia, and Body Positivity - Fat Liberation Terms and Why They Matter

written By: Toni PNW

30 Days of Size Inclusion:

Welcome to Day 1 of my 30 Days of Size Inclusion in Tattooing ! This project is intended for fat people and allies alike, to learn to recognize size bias and remove barriers for members of our communities.

Tattooing is an industry based on body celebration, autonomy, and self expression. This makes it especially frustrating that it seems so resistant to and behind in size inclusion. The tattoo industry can be a powerful place to inspire and cultivate change, healing, and empowerment, and I am writing these posts out of love and hope for a future where the industry is inclusive, welcoming, and accessible to all.

Fat

Fat

Fat

Liberation

Fat liberation is often misunderstood and written off as too radical, unecessary, and even exclusionary at the expense of others in society. The truth is fat liberation is a needed social justice movement raising awareness of real harm and discrimination fat people face in a society built on a body hierarchy that devalues them. Advocates work to address real issues and inequities that oppress and marginalize fat individuals, challenging and dismantling the systems based on beauty standards, conformity, and supremacy.

The consequences of continuing to ignore fat liberation worsens social, economic, healthcare, stigmas, autonomy, and access conditions for not just fat people, but everyone in society. Oppressive systems often intersect, perpetuating harm for many communities in all aspects of life. Challenging and rejecting anti-fat attitudes and ideas will help build a compassionate, inclusive, functional, and equitable society.

What Is Size Bias? An Introduction of Common Terms and Topics

Where We've been:

Body Positivity

Body Positivity is the idea that all bodies are deserving of love, respect, and celebration. Body positivity was originally called the “Fat Rights Movement” and was created by the work of Black, queer, and feminist activists in the 1960s. Many names for radical self love came forward such as “Fat Acceptance” and “Fat Liberation” and groups were formed to unify and dismantle systemic oppression of fat bodies. The common connector of these groups were that they were unapologetic and boldly centering fat bodies as they advocated and rallied for acceptance and spread awareness of the harm the diet industry causes. 

In recent years, in the age of social media, the “Fat Rights Movement” is widely known.. but with none of the history and fatness no longer at its core. “Body Positivity” is still used and loved by many fat activists, but some find it hard to connect with as it’s been co-opted by mainstream culture and often centers societally accepted, thin, cis, white bodies.



WHere we want to be:

Body Neutrality

Body neutrality is the idea that a person's worth is not tied to their size. The idea of body neutrality prioritizes inclusion, function, access and respect. Our current society places worth on a person's looks and attractiveness. Aesthetics come before basic dignity. In a body neutral society, inclusion is systemic. Public spaces, infrastructure, clothing, care, design, and policies are designed to meet the needs of all bodies.

Some interpret body neutrality to mean a lack of self love or uninspired indifference to our bodies, but body neutrality’s focused goal is to reduce the harm an appearance and attractiveness hierarchy causes. Body neutrality and self love can coexist. Self love in a body neutral space can look like gratitude for your body, love for how it moves, enjoyment for personal choices like haircuts and colors, tattoos, and amplification of joy and pride in yourself. Body neutrality also takes the pressure off of constant positivity. Even on days you don’t feel like celebrating, your body is not devalued in society; your needs are met.

Fatphobia

a racist history | a capitalist Encouragement

Fatphobia is rooted in an intertwining mess of white supremacy and colonization. Many social research studies find that most human societies have had some sort of established appearance hierarchy. Though, fat bodies have not always been at the bottom of these hierarchies. In past societies and some Indigenous cultures, fat bodies are associated with strength, survival, and prosperity. 

The current treatment and devaluation of fat bodies in our society began with racism and colonization. European colonizers used appearance to settle themselves at the top of the social pyramid; they used these beauty standards to control and dehumanize Indigenous and Black people. As the colonizers viewed thinness and whiteness as refined and civilized, fatness became synonymous with moral failure and labeled as lazy, lacking in discipline and self control. 

Fatphobia today echoes those same oppressive ideas, with the discourse on if fat people deserve basic human rights to access, healthcare, dignified treatment, respect, and existence all reinforced through negative media representation, social media, capitalism and the diet/beauty/self-esteem industry profiting substancially from continued anti-fat, racist, and supremacist oppression.

Size Inclusion

the next step forward

Body Neutrality is the goal, and size inclusion is our next step in that journey. 

Size inclusion is real, tangible change that addresses the harm and discrimination being faced by fat people RIGHT NOW. Size inclusion presents immediate actions society can take through policies, attitude shifts, education, and accommodations for all bodies without exception. Size inclusion addresses systemic barriers, laying important values and cultural shifts that work toward a truly inclusive and functional society.

Why These Terms Matter

Becoming familiar with what Fat Liberation is (and what it isn't) helps advocates and allies clarify and convey the injustices and harm that fat people experience every day. Fat individuals are facing significant barriers, discrimination, physical and mental harm, and exclusion. Understanding how we got here and where we need to go now will support a society that holds inherent value for all.