Virgie Tovar

This was the first time in my adult life when I had become really crystal clear on what I wanted and needed from others. I have been so used to letting others lead the exchange, unsure how to navigate, unable to access my own needs.

You were taught not to invest in yourself. You were taught to invest in the culture, which is bolstered by patriarchy, racism, etc..

I came to realize that even though I was certainly a bona fide member, that some fat people were far more acutely marginalized than me.

Ali Abbassi’s ‘Border’ movie ultimately reminded me of what happens when we meet someone who reflects our power back to us.

Fat people often get so little attention that feels positive. When someone offers exploitative attention or exploits fat people it can feel really good.

October is a busy month for me. It’s one of two peak periods for lecture bookings on university campuses.

The other night, I was eating capellini with asparagus and shrimp with a new friend/Babecamp Jamaica alum.

I’d like to enter the term “thinspreading” into the running for 2017's new word of the year. Fat people are expected to take up as little space as possible.

This week I went to a networking event and had feelings about it. This is the story of those feelings. 

If you asked me to guess what was going through her head, I would say she was in shock that a fat lady would wear a tight skirt, belly in full sight. This feminist act of taking up space, tacitly but clearly making room for myself in a fatphobic culture, is a bold-but-crucial move if you’re my brand of fat babe.