Responding to Fat Shaming, a.k.a. #NotYourGoodFatty Takes Over Twitter, Makes My Day

When I was a kid,  I was literally told I would never find love because I was fat.

Well dad, I found it; on Twitter.

This is Jenn. Jenn taught me a lot about the body-positive movement. And went with me to get milkshakes before she rudely moved to Korea.

The body-positive movement that I connected to via fellow bloggers and tweeters has changed the way I hate myself. That is to say, I stopped.* (*Well, try to at least. Keep trying. Always keep trying! Always keep putting posit images in your brain to outdo the negative ones.)

With Jenn showing off our post-cheesefries belly pride.

Today, I’m especially loving what’s going on on the hashtag #NotYourGoodFatty, which started with this tweet.

I’m never going to be your good fatty. Move along. #MyBodyMyRules — Amanda Levitt (@FatBodyPolitics) April 4, 2014

Fat people are constantly told they take up too much space, they’re worth less than thin people and that they’re something to be scorned, ridiculed and judged. This all under the premise of saving us from ourselves, from our unhealthy bodies that will kill us prematurely. I could sit here and tell you all about how thin doesn’t equal healthy and the health at every size (HAES) movement, but really, what’s it to you? Don’t I have the right to be unhealthy? Why is it that thin people deserve to eat ice cream but fat people have to justify it to society’s staring gaze.

Judging someone as less valuable due to their health is also bigotry. Congratulations, you’re still a bad person. #notyourgoodfatty — Michelle (@fatnutritionist) April 4, 2014

My friend Jenn Leyva always says “unless you’re close enough to me to care if I floss my teeth, you don’t have a right to talk to me about your issues with my weight and what it might mean for my health.” Agreed. Except I’d like to add that no one in my life gets to ask me about my weight. People close to me can ask me if I’ve moved my body away from the computer to give it a rest today, if I’ve made sure to eat something that gives my body fuel, if I’ve meditated, if I’ve stretched and if I’ve made my word count on my novel for the day – all things I’ve asked them to make sure I do daily. If you ask me what I weigh, if you tell me I need to lose weight, if you mention a scale or a number that scale is “supposed” to be at in my presence, I will not be a good fatty. I will not shamefully mumble something, explain away my fat, feel ashamed that my number is higher than your arbitrary standards. I will be like these people:

Judging someone as less valuable due to their health is also bigotry. Congratulations, you’re still a bad person. #notyourgoodfatty

— Michelle (@fatnutritionist) April 4, 2014

If you tell me you’re being “bad” when you eat something, I will tell you food has no moral value. Every time. #notyourgoodfatty — Louisa (@LouisatheLast) April 4, 2014

If I don’t have to hate fit bodies to feel good, you don’t have to hate fat bodies to feel good. #notyourgoodfatty

— Jenny Trout (@Jenny_Trout) April 4, 2014

My double chin is adorable, and I will tell you as much. #notyourgoodfatty — Jenn Leyva (@fatsmartpretty) April 4, 2014

My body takes up space because it is normal. I do not exist to spend my life trying to disappear. I exist to live well. #notyourgoodfatty

— H Cue (@haleycue) April 4, 2014

I’m going to wear clothing every day that makes me happy, not hide my body so you think it’s more acceptable. #notyourgoodfatty — Amanda Levitt (@FatBodyPolitics) April 4, 2014

Fat is a feminist issue – the amount of people who think a fat women’s worth is defined purely by how fuckable they are. #notyourgoodfatty

— Amanda Levitt (@FatBodyPolitics) April 4, 2014

I believe in the radical notion that other people don’t have the right to have an opinion about my body. #notyourgoodfatty #notsorry

— Amanda Levitt (@FatBodyPolitics) April 4, 2014

I won’t hate myself no matter how much you want me to. #notyourgoodfatty

— Esset (@EsculentEsset) April 4, 2014

Thanks to these people, and so many others like them on and offline, I’ve been able to get to a point where I don’t eat milkshakes in shame, cover my body in public and hate my body needlessly.

Double fisting in public.

And I’ve been able to help others do the same.

So thanks Twitter. I owe you a milkshake.