Ragen Chastain

Ragen Chastain

Bio

Ragen Chastain is a professional speaker, writer, and real live fat person.  She has spoken everywhere from friend's living rooms to Google Headquarters to Cal Tech and Dartmouth.  She will not stop until we live in a world where the full diversity of body sizes is respected, and fat people are able to live in fat bodies without shame, stigma, bullying, and harrasment, regardless of why they are fat, what being fat means, and if they could (or even want to) become thin. She lives in Los Angeles with her partner Julianne and their adorable rescue dogs, and is training for her first (and hopefully only!) IRONMAN triathlon. If you can't get enough of her on Ravishly, you can check out her blog www.danceswithfat.org

Ragen Chastain Articles

Kerryn manages to commit every fallacy of fatphobia in less than three minutes. Image: screengrab — Steven Tanenbaum/Vimeo.

Kerryn Feehan: Concern Troll, Fatphobe, and Bullshit Artist

Actress and comic Kerryn Feehan decided to use a publicity opportunity on a radio show to go after the show’s intern Whitney Way Thore, who is the subject of the reality show My Big Fat Fabulous Life.

Read...
We need to talk about how the APA is Fat-Shaming Kids!

APA To Release Guidelines For Fat-Shaming Kids For Profit

What happens when you suggest diet behavior to a kid who’s about to grow a foot? How do you affect their growth? How to you affect their health? This is fat-shaming kids!

Read...
Fat people on Instagram have been noticing a disturbing double standard when it comes to supposed “violations” of Instagram's guidelines.

Fat Is Not A Violation

Fat people on Instagram have been noticing a disturbing double standard when it comes to supposed “violations” of Instagram's guidelines.

Read...
Not only does she suggest that “feeling fat” can be fixed through the use of tools, but she says that one “tool” to use when you’re “feeling fat” is to tell yourself that you are “beautiful.” Dude. (Image Credit: Instagram/theashleygraham)

Dear Ashley Graham: Fat Is Not A Feeling

Fat is not a feeling you have. Fat is a body size you are. Fat people have as many different feelings about our bodies as thin people do. Suggesting that feeling bad about your body means that you are “feeling fat” is fat shaming AF, and it adds to the ceaseless fatphobic messages that permeate our society.

Read...
Google! A walk is not a cupcake!

A Walk Is Not A Cupcake: Google's Worst Idea Yet

Hey Google - encouraging people to walk, while ignoring there are plenty of people with disabilities, is engaging in ableism. Cupcakes only make it worse!

Read...
Reporters should be able to dress, at the very least, in accordance with the dress codes of their actual employers.

Question For Paul Ryan: Should Female White House Reporters Have The Right To 'Bare Arms'?

Recently, Paul Ryan decided that “appropriate attire” for women will exclude sleeveless dresses and open-toed shoes, and pretty soon thereafter, several women reporters were refused entry to the Speaker’s Lobby for showing their arms.

Read...
"A thin-obsessed world perpetuates eating disorders and fat phobia."

The Eating Disorder Community Has A Fat Phobia Problem

Suggesting that we should figure out how to apply a deadly illness to fat people is ludicrous on its face for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that THERE ARE FAT PEOPLE WITH ANOREXIA.

Read...
Aidy Bryant  by Behind The Velvet Rope TV

Aidy Bryant Puts Fat Shaming In Its Place 

Aidy Bryant’s recent interview with The Cut is so refreshing! Aidy is crystal clear that the problem isn’t fat bodies, but rather fatphobia.

Read...
All police officers, no matter how well intentioned, live in — and are affected by — a society rife with racism and ableism.  Image: Utility_inc/Pixabay.

Yes, Being A Cop Is A Tough Job. No, That Doesn't Excuse Incompetence.

It is a very difficult and dangerous job, and it does require officers to have the ability to make good split second decisions. None of that should mean that it’s OK to be incompetent, or that we should all rush to justify, ignore, or excuse incompetence, racism, ableism, and the inappropriate use of force.

Read...
It's not our bodies that are the problem. Image: Thinkstock.

WTF Is Going On In Plus-Size Fashion?

You know what’s more “ostracizing” than being called plus-size? Actually BEING plus-size and unable to find clothes that fit you and that you like.
Plus-size people do not have the same choices as those who wear straight sizes — not in style, quality, price point, or availability. THAT'S ostracizing.

Read...