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

A "fat tax" is an additional fee that is charged to fat patrons by services like pedicurists, spas, even massage therapists.

The "Fat Tax" At Spas & Salons Is Discriminatory And Unacceptable

A "fat tax" is an additional fee that is charged to fat patrons by services like pedicurists, spas, even massage therapists. Sometimes it even goes beyond a tax to complete exclusion.

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image credit: Lady Gaga via Instagram

Lady Gaga, The Super Bowl, And Half-Assed Body Positivity

Too often people claim that they are practicing Body Positivity when in fact they are perpetuating fatphobia and/or using healthism and ableism to justify sizeism.

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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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It is absolutely OK to be whatever size you are, including hella fat. It is absolutely fine to not be “healthy” or “strong” by whatever definition. (Image Credit: Instagram/body.brave)

We Must Stop Making These Mistakes About Health & Body Positivity

Suggesting that there is some weigh at which we are no longer allowed to love our bodies is fat-shaming and oppressive. Suggesting that you should have to achieve some level of “health” to love yourself is healthist and oppressive.

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Restroom sign. Image: Pixabay.

The Real Solution To The Trans Bathroom Debate

[CN: transphobia] Having apparently solved all the actual problems in the world, a number of conservatives in state and local governments have turned their “small-government” focus onto the bathroom needs of trans and non-binary people.

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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.

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Khloe Kardashian  © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com

5 Hacks To Help You Ignore Khloe Kardashian's Thin Obsession

Khloe Kardashian who has been touted as a “body positive” advocate, recently wrote a post called 5 Hacks to Look Thin AF in Your Pics.

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Let’s take a moment and soak this in: women make up half the population and only 1/13th of the Doctors from Doctor Who, and there are actually men out there deluded enough to claim that this is unfair to men. (Image Credit: Instagram/nymag)

The Misogyny Of 'Dr. Who' Fans - Dudebros Are NOT HAPPY With A Female Lead

Ms. Whitaker is a white woman, so obviously 'Dr. Who' is still desperately behind and lacking in their Doctor diversity. But the show has finally introduced a woman as the main character and men (and a few women, because internalized oppression is a thing) are flipping out.

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This is the time to fight, to hold the line, to preserve our humanity and protect our bodies — all of our bodies. (Image: Flickr/ mumography)

Having A Body In Donald’s America 

It’s a dangerous and challenging time for many of us to have a body in the United States. There are things we can do to not only love our bodies but give them our support during the era of the bigoted, fat shaming, twitter tantrum throwing man-baby who is, for now, our president.

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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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