Until last week, this blog was called Polish and Sparkle. Now it's Fat Is Not a Bad Word. Why?
If I could impart one piece of wisdom to women (people of all genders, but especially women) around the world, it would be that all bodies, no matter their size, are worthy and beautiful, regardless of their representation in the media. Larger bodies are especially abused in the mainstream, simply because of their size, and that's bullshit. Being fat isn't a bad thing. The word itself isn't a bad thing. I wanted to distill that message into a blog title, so Fat Is Not a Bad Word was born.
Besides, the name Polish and Sparkle didn't really encapsulate the message I want to send. That, and a bunch of people mistook it for a blog about nail polish!
I think I was too shy to give my blog a clear name (read: with "fat" in it) and beat around the proverbial bush, talking about body image and fashion and life as a fat girl and how my disability and career and travel are affected by my size, without just saying it, loud and clear: I am a fat person. I'm passionate about helping fat people live the life of their dreams, and not just in spite of their size. I was doing myself, and my readers a disservice by not calling this blog what it really is: a blog for fat people, by a fat person. I love my skinny sisters, but they have Vogue and LouLou and pretty much every fashion and women's lifestyle magazine (and blog, and TV show, etc etc etc). I'm ready to cater to my niche, my interests, my lifestyle, without being afraid I'm leaving out the skinny girls. Kind of like how Essence isn't for white girls and Bust isn't for non-feminists.
Fatphobia and body shaming are a worldwide epidemic. People of size face discrimination every single day, simply because of their size. I won't keep quiet or play nice or hide what I believe under a title that sugar coats it for the fat haters. I won't be a "good fatty". I'll shout it, loud and proud: Fat Is Not a Bad Word.
Image Source (click through and you can actually buy the keychain/necklace pictured, handmade by an artist on Etsy!).
Beautifully stated.
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