My other girlfriend who was in this conversation is thin.
I was the only person on this trip above a size small.
And that one offhand remark was all it took for me to see red.
Illustration by Johanne Licard
I asked, so obviously bitter.
She said, No, but…
I didnt let her finish.
But heres the thing: Im a hypocrite.
Im much taller than the average woman, and I usually weigh anywhere between 200 and 215 pounds.
I was a chubby kid, too, one whose weight was of constant discussion in my household.
No such thing has ever happened to me.
Were the smallest people on the fat spectrum and are therefore first in line for the revolution.
You might even find someoneposingordancingin a flirtatious manner under the guise of showing what real bodies look like.
Youll find the comment sections of these videos almost always lean positive.
What are those privileges?
Those of us size 14 and below are also much more widely catered to in fashion retail.
Were the smallest people on the fat spectrum and are therefore first in line for the revolution.
But being able to shop for clothes only scratches the surface.
In the medical field, they are more likely to bemisdiagnosed or even refused caredue to their weight.
Discrimination can also prevent fat people fromsecuring scholarships, receiving bank loans, and even buying a home.
Some of us have had those harrowing dressing room experiences in which nothing fit.
Some of us have been bullied about our bodies relentlessly.
Some of us have had our weight policed by loved ones behind closed doors.
Mid-size and small-fat people, its time to accept that we might not be doing enough.
you’re free to develop a messed-up trauma barometer that labels people either as victims or not-victims.
Peoples lives are hard or easy.
People are fat or theyre not.
Theres no room for nuance.
We can be called fat and not actually be fat.
We can be body-shamed to all hell and still not be impacted by everyday weight discrimination.
Stop buying from fashion companies that refuse to cater to fat people.
Avoid describing yourself as fat if you arent.Read upon the racist origins of fatphobia.
Mid-size and small-fat people, its time to accept that we might not be doing enough.