What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat

by Aubrey Gordon

However anti-fatness shows up, even in ways that seem benign, each paves the way for the next, laying a foundation that makes more overtly anti-fat behavior possible. Laughing at fat jokes lets the people around us know that they’re okay to tell. Telling fat jokes makes more room for disregarding fat people’s humanity. Disregarding our humanity opens the door to treating us callously, parroting hurtful stereotypes back to us under the guise of concern for our health. This callous treatment makes way for overt discrimination, harassment, violence, and death threats, each softening the ground for the next. Whether the wolf (ban this, you fat fuck) or sheep’s clothing (I’m just concerned for your health), the story ends the same way. The wolf bares its teeth, then devours its prey. However anti-fatness presents itself, it will swallow me whole.