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

Fat acceptance allows us to free ourselves from diet culture to finally love our bodies!

Yes, It Is Fine To Be Fat 

The point of fat acceptance is to be clear that people of all sizes have the right to exist without shame, stigma, bullying, and oppression.

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Perhaps the biggest problem with plus-size nominees not finding clothes is getting the fashion industry to overcome its fatphobia.

Naked On The Red Carpet: Plus-Size Nominees Can't Find Clothes

You would think that designers would want their clothes to be seen on a woman who represents billions in buying dollars, but it turns out they would rather cling to their fat bias.

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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.

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image mashup: Mariah Aro Sharp @mightymooseart

Is Wonder Woman On A Diet?

We are passing our unhealthy obsession with thinness onto girls and it’s causing them to have issues with food, movement, self-esteem, and body image that can last a lifetime.

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Photo by Annie Gray on Unsplash

No, You Shouldn't Ditch Your Fat Friends ​

Slimming World (UK version of Weight Watchers) is telling those who have reached their “target weight” to ditch their fat friends.

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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.

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You should know better than to market sizes to XXL as “all shapes and sizes” or “clothes for every person.”

Is It Really Clothing For Every Body If The Sizes Stop At 2XL​?

The fashion world has long screwed up when it comes to fat bodies. You should know better than to market sizes to 2XL as all shapes and sizes.

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The problem isn’t the reactions of the people being bullied, it’s a culture where bullying and harassment are considered acceptable.

Should We Ignore Our Bullies?

Should we ignore our bullies? The problem isn’t the reactions of the people being bullied, it’s a culture where bullying is considered acceptable.

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The only person who gets to decide the right way to deal with fat shaming is the person being fat shamed.

When Fat People Clap Back At Fatphobes 

Food shaming as a form of fat shaming has happened to every fat person I know. Here are some examples of when fat people clap back at fatphobes.

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If your doctor isn’t willing to provide compassionate care, including reassuring and supporting you, then they are incompetent and undeserving of you as a patient.

If You're Feeling Uncomfortable With Your Gyno, It Might Be Time To Fire Them

A recent article claimed there are certain behaviors that gynecologists don't like in their patients. Here are some myths debunked about your trip to the gyno and some tips on when to fire them!

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