10 More Body Positive People You Should Know
Check out these skaters, fashionistas and fitness instructors
What’s Inside:
Terms: Body Positivity & Fat Liberation
A list of 10 cool people to follow on socials
1 writing prompt
Writing class offerings
Love and gratitude for you— thanks for being here!
In my last Body Positive round up, I showcased some really cool people on Insta. It sprang from my interview with Aubrey Gordon, who said we were living in a “real Golden Age” of fat folks. She named people like comedian Nicole Byer, rapper Chica, and actress Ashlie Atkinson who are doing incredible things.
So I went through my own socials to see who I follow that I want to shout-out.
Before we get into it, I want to acknowledge that people coming to the body positive space have different goals and journeys. Some people come to it for self esteem and are satisfied with the end goal being body acceptance/love. Others continue on the journey for more social justice action. Recently, I saw a post from Kayla Stansberry, who runs the account Fat Positive Therapist, that explained the differences of Body Positive (bopo) versus Fat Liberation.
Linda, who runs the blog Fluffy Kitten Party, says, “Fat people can experience the world very differently based on how fat they are.” Within the fat liberation movement, there are various terms like small fat or infinifat. She goes on to say that fat activism should “take into account how different political and social identities overlap and interact with one another. For instance, someone who is mid-fat, but also trans and living with a visible disability that requires assistive devices has a very different experience than a cis, non-disabled person who is also mid-fat.”
There’s a divide in which some people feel body positive folks are not doing enough and are still marginalizing fat people. I’m also still navigating these waters, so the list below includes a mix of bopo and fat liberation activists.
Neither of these movements are about shunning thin people, nor about ‘glorifying obesity.’ At the heart of both, I think, it’s about everyone having access to a high quality of life, inclusion, and happiness. And I think diet culture has done so much damage to many of us that to have an inclusive, non-judgemental space is vital as we learn and grow at our various paces.
That said, here are more cool fat folks doing rad things to add to your feed. (In no particular order because it’s not a competition. Also, as with most public figures, we can’t know them fully, so I’m basing this off their public posts and not personal lives.)
Miss Giggles. When I came across Megan Ixim’s Insta, what struck me first was all of the radiant color. This queer Latina wears bold clothes in a world that tells fat folks to dress in ‘slimming’ neutrals and blacks. Plus she posts pics of herself eating in public— something that most fat people get shamed for, especially if it’s messy.
Vinny Welsby. Vinny writes that they had “achingly low self esteem” from various traumas in their life and damn can I relate. Known as Fierce Fatty, Welsby helps people unlearn anti-fat bias and fall in love with themselves. Check out their free resources and Ted Talk, as well as online courses to help you gain confidence.
Jessie Diaz-Herrrera. At one point in my life, I was really into the gym, so much so that I studied to be a personal trainer. But I got comments about how my body wasn’t going to be my ‘calling card’ (cute unsolicited advice from unhelpful men). So it’s great to see that Diaz-Herrera, a plus size certified fitness instructor, founded Free the Jiggle workouts— “body positive, body affirming, joyful movement dance classes” in NYC and online.
Katie Sturino. A child of the 90s, I thought fashion was only accessible if I lost weight in order to fit into trendy outfits. But this entrepreneur recreates celebrity styles with the hashtag #SuperSizeTheLook. It’s not about comparison or the usual ‘who wore it better’ but about making fashion accessible for all. Sturino is also known for her Mega Babe products.
Jessamyn Stanley. Once, a guy said to me that I didn’t do enough yoga to get “that hot yoga bod.” Cool. Anyway. This award-winning artist is known as the Beyonce of yoga! Love to see all kinds of bodies leading restorative movement classes that actually welcomes everyone.
Bella Davis. This is your Australia-based ‘self-love hype girl’ whose videos and posts help you celebrate all the things magazines have taught you to hate— cellulite, body hair, stretch marks. Her ‘good morning beautiful queen’ mirror videos always put a smile on my face.
Marquisele Mercedes. This scholar talks about disability justice in eating disorder treatments, including the link between anti-fatness and eating disorders, and is earning a PhD at Brown University. Broadly, she’s interested in how “racism, anti-Blackness, and fatphobia have shaped health care, research, promotion, and training” as a fat liberationist.
Jeff Jenkins. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to travel and live abroad, and have done so in different sizes. But there were plenty of times I postponed or canceled or felt anxious about actively traveling because of how my body looked. Jenkins runs the Chubby Diaries which helps “chubby people travel the world.” This National Geographic/ Disney Plus host goes to places like Iceland, Vietnam, Mexico while scuba diving and hiking and just generally living the life.
Courtney Shove. There were a handful of times in my youth that roller skating rink parties were a thing. Though I tried to learn skating and blading, it just wasn’t for me (I always thought it was about my size). Creator of the #fatskatelove, this fat black queer roller skater makes it look effortless.
Remi Bader. How many times I’ve returned clothes from an online shopping spree that looked like a shapeless clownsuit IRL is innumerable. Known for her real-time reactions for trying on clothes from her own online shopping, Remi is now a TikTok star and a Forbes 30 Under 30. She even got to attend the amazingly talented (and size inclusive) designer Christian Siriano’s latest fashion show. (Though I’m not sure how sustainable her fashion hauls are.)
Prompt: What compels you to follow an account on social media? As you reflect, think about how you feel after seeing some of their posts. How often do you spend time—really— on social media?
Write for 10 minutes and comment below about how it went. Or send me a private note: hi@christinaberke.com.
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✍🏽If you’re interested in taking a class with me, check out some of my winter/spring writing class offerings, including 3 new classes: 1) Vision Boarding for Writers 2) Writing the High School Self 3) Social Media Literacy ✍🏽
🧚 CHRISTINA BERKE is a Los Angeles based writer working on WELL, BODY, a memoir about eating disorders, body image, and childhood trauma. An excerpt of this was Longlisted with Disquiet Literary International and in workshop at the Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference, Melissa Febos said she’d “read the sh*t out of this book.” A former Managing Editor for Black Mountain Institute’s award-winning literary magazine, Witness, she currently reads for Split Lip. Find out more at www.christinaberke.com. 🧚 🧚 🧚