Support black activists, projects, and organizations for #GivingTuesday

Etang and Tammy of Your Body Raks

One of my friends posted on Facebook that she’s looking for black-run projects to donate to today, which I thought was a great idea. Here’s a list of suggestions:

–The Girls Raks Bellydance and Body Image Program: a body-positive bellydance course for young women in Oakland, CA, taught by fabulous fat dancers Etang Inyang and Tammy Johnson (pictured above).

-Janet Mock is running a book drive to get books by trans people of color to trans prisoners around the US.

–Black Girl Dangerous, one of the blogs I read regularly, “seeks to, in as many ways possible, amplify the voices, experiences and expressions of queer and trans* people of color.”

-Another regular read: HoodFeminism, which you can donate to here.

–The Black Youth Project (BYP) “is committed to producing research about the ideas, attitudes, and experiences of young black people; providing a platform for their voices and perspectives; and mobilizing young people and their allies to make positive change and build the world within which they want to live.”

Sunday links, 5/18/14

Peonies are the best.

Fa(t)shion
-Lesley reviews a variety of chub rub prevention solutions.
-It’s so rare to find truly amazing men’s fashion, so I was excited to come across this gothic groom’s red and black suit with buckles.
-Sal passes along her client Kristie’s review of Gwynnie Bee.
-Kat models some lovely, colorful floral crowns from Claire’s.
-Gabi shares the sources of the clothing and accessories in her #EveryBODYIsFlawless video.
–These bows are everything. Especially the clear one filled with pom-poms.
–How many of these ’90s beauty products did you use? OMG, almost all of them. I still use Bottled Emotion perfume, which I buy on eBay. And damn, I miss roll-on glitter–that shit was the best.
-Affatshionista rounds up crop tops that come in a 4x. (Note: I don’t agree with the sophisticated vs. slutty dichotomy that she mentions at the end of the post–I believe in wearing what you want, period, and not shaming some ways of dressing as “slutty.”)
-I can so relate to finding a piece of clothing you really like in a plus size blogger’s outfit post, and then realizing it doesn’t come in your size. I usually wear a size 22, so most plus lines include my size, but I often come across smaller fat or in-betweenie bloggers wearing clothes from straight size lines that stop at 16 or 18.
-I love these portraits of fat and incredibly fashionable Namibian women (click the first image to see the rest).

Fat Acceptance
–Fat people and feeding tubes.
–Walking while fat and female.
-So, that Louie episode….I have a lot of mixed feelings about it. Maybe I will write about it, but in the meantime, I like these two posts by Melissa, and this one by Kath.
–Fat, fault, and disabilities.
-Londonites, check out this fat dance show!
-Melissa writes about being fat-shamed by the friends and family of men she has dated.
-“I find it helpful to keep in mind that weight-loss messages are prejudice for profit.”
–Will being fat kill your sex life? No, but fat-shaming might.
–Educating doctors about interacting with fat patients.
–I may be fat, and I may teach people about nutrition, but I am not your “good fatty.”
–When health is not on your side.
-So much yes to this: The thing about experience.
–Monica and me: fat girls of the ’90s.

Whitney Thore is always awesome.

Sunday links, 5/12/14

Happy Mother’s Day to my mom, and to any other mothers reading this! 🙂

Fa(t)shion
-I love this fat femme wedding photoshoot and this pretty girls in pastels shoot.
-Sarah interviews Helen Castillo, who designed Mary Lambert’s recent red carpet dresses.
–Captivating tomboy floral spring inspiration.
–Why we all need a safe space to shop for lingerie. I so wish there were a store like this in Boston!
–To all the fat babes out there blogging pictures of themselves in clothes, swimsuits, or naked….
-I’m a total sucker for fashion illustrations made with real flowers.

Fat Acceptance
-Lots of fatspiration: these Pacific Islander dancers, this gorgeous burlesque dancer live modeling for artists, this singer, this weight-lifter, and this adorable chubster with a corgi.
–Help fat activists get to the Allied Media Conference!
-Rachele was unwillingly turned into a fat person meme.
–Weight Watchers’ repulsive new ad campaign asks women to publicly confess their shame…for eating.
–Stop describing your diet as “clean eating.”
–Yes, doctor, I know I’m fat.
–If you tell a girl she’s fat…

A video of the Fat Flash Mob including interviews with the dancers:

Sunday links, 3/23/14

Even my plates love waffles.

Fa(t)shion
–Youtheary Khmer’s spring collection is amazing!
-Danimezza rounds up ten gorgeous plus size dresses.
-Joanna rounds up lots and lots of pretty florals. *swoon* Sadly, many of them are not available in the US.
-San Diego people, check out the rad fatties yard sale and swap!
–The Big Fat Flea’s tumblr has some awesome fatshion.

Fat Acceptance
-If you’re in Michigan, check out Amanda Levitt’s talk on fat visibility at Oakland University.
–My weight problem isn’t my weight.
-I’ve been frustrated by this too: must every YA action heroine be petite?
-I so wish I could be in Portland for Big Sexy: A Sexy Showcase for the Fat and Fabulous!
–Congress on Obesity: ego over accessibility.
-I love all of the pictures that Accidental Disney Princess posts of herself dancing, and these ones are especially beautiful.

Climate and Sustainability
–Reclaiming abuelita knowledge as a brown ecofeminista.
-Hells yeah: Massachusetts emerges as the hub of the fossil fuel divestment movement.
-A haunting piece of art about politicians’ inaction on climate change.
–No, we’re not just “environmentalists.” It’s much more than that.
-Andy Smith points out how indigenous people are successfully using social media to fight for their rights, costing corporations hundreds of millions of dollars.
-Zadie Smith writes a moving elegy for a country’s seasons.

Friday links 8/16/13

My favorite part of the farmers’ market. 🙂

Happy Friday! How have all of your weeks been going? I just started a new temp job as a Package Tetris Specialist (ahem, mail clerk), and it’s been good but exhausting. I am very, very glad that it’s almost the weekend.

Fa(t)shion
-I so wish I could be in Oakland for Virgie Tovar’s pop-up shop. That pink cloche! *swoons*
-Speaking of hats, this Advanced Style hat roundup is amazing. New life goal: become an old lady with the coolest hats.
-Even more haaaats! I am particularly in love with, well, the one that says “LOVE” in giant flower-covered letters.
-Chubby Cartwheels has a new line of hologram clothing!
-Marianne reviews the Enell sports bra (my favorite), bandalettes, and a tank top called the Breast Nest.
-She also writes about her feelings about dudes who creep on online fatshion pictures, which is pretty much how I feel as well.
–Steal her style: Ali Koehler of Upset.

Fat Acceptance
-I love these chubby girl illustrations.
-Oxygen’s new show in which formerly fat people get revenge on fat shamers? Ugggh.
-Check out this fat cabaret show in L.A.–it will be streaming live for people who can’t make it in person.
-Point your med-student friends to the new HAES Curriculum, which is “a peer-reviewed curriculum designed for teaching health professionals and university students about the Health At Every Size® model.”
–Hey, assholes: deporting fat people doesn’t actually make them go away.

Fat dance interlude

Very few things make me happier than watching fabulous dancers.