"Fat is the new gay"

Clandestine · 29-05-2013 10:24PM #1

I've noticed somewhat of a large upsurge in support for something known as "fat acceptance" on the internet. Its essentially a movement by obese people to "destroy thin privilege", "end discrimination of fat people" (which includes such things as jokes) as they are fat "because of genetics" and other dubious causes.

Its pretty obvious causes such as these should be taken with a pinch of salt, but I saw something today that just stunned me:
http://bitchmagazine.org/article/sized-up-fat-feminist-queer-disability

I mean... wow... I thought I had seen some sh!t but this takes the cake. I can't believe some people can be as mentally deficient as to make claims such as these. Some stuff I see on tumblr and other blog sites is just as inane.

What do you make of this AH? Do you think fat acceptance is a good thing and will it become a norm in society in the future?

alph · 29-05-2013 10:29PM

i started reading that article then scrolled down and realised it was more of a book so I stopped.

I'll never get those 3 minutes back ....

discus · 29-05-2013 10:30PM

It goes hand in hand with people being happy at an 'average' weight, not realising that just because its average, does not mean its not overweight?!

My name is URL · 29-05-2013 10:31PM

Clandestine wrote: »

I mean... wow... I thought I had seen some sh!t but this takes the cake

http://www.hiyoooo.com/

1ZRed · 29-05-2013 10:31PM

You callin me fat, OP?!

irish bloke · 29-05-2013 10:33PM

I REALLY hate links in threads....
Especially explaining the post..

Hownowcow · 29-05-2013 10:34PM

I like fat people. You can say anything you like to them. They'll never catch you.

The Backwards Man · 29-05-2013 10:34PM

I think that's total bollocks.

I will say one thing though. The absolute vitriolic hatred that some people have for those that are overweight, which will no doubt come out in this thread, puzzles me.

orestes · 29-05-2013 10:36PM

B!tch magazine - sized-up-fat-feminist-queer-disability

And before anyone tries to kill me, that's actually the url of the article in the link, I sh!t you not. Journalism at it's finest.

1ZRed · 29-05-2013 10:38PM

In serious though that the hell is the connection between being fat and gay? Being overweight or obese is actually bad for you, being gay is not.

pharmaton · 29-05-2013 10:39PM

1ZRed wrote: »

In serious though that the hell is the connection between being fat and gay? Being overweight or obese is actually bad for you, being gay is not.

I know a load of fat people and I've nothing against them but...

...just kidding.

Although the fact that it's equated with being gay is interesting as in my experience anyway, a lot of gay people tend to endure similar problems with accepting themselves and I'd be inclined to think they both stem from self esteem issues. Thought that much was obvious anyway. Its not so much about how they are perceived as to how they perceive themselves and the struggles with society that results in.

kowloon · 29-05-2013 10:40PM

1ZRed wrote: »

In serious though that the hell is the connection between being fat and gay? Being overweight or obese is actually bad for you, being gay is not.

It is in Uganda.

jam_mac_jam · 29-05-2013 10:40PM

Oh its time for the fat people are bad again...

Do we not already have a thread about fat people today? Oh that's girls, oh I wonder are we going to talk about fat girls again?

Links234 · 29-05-2013 10:41PM

Clandestine wrote: »

Some stuff I see on tumblr...

there's your problem right there

orestes · 29-05-2013 10:42PM

1ZRed wrote: »

In serious though that the hell is the connection between being fat and gay? Being overweight or obese is actually bad for you, being gay is not.

That's the point they're trying to make, that being obese is not bad for you and society is just picking on obese people the same way that they used to pick on gay people. And before you try and use any of those fatphobic facts about diet and exercise (or anything at all that suggests that being obese is unnatural or unhealthy or in any way not awesome) they point out that they're all part of the conspiracy, so they don't count as counter-arguements. Handy eh?

1ZRed · 29-05-2013 10:43PM

kowloon wrote: »

It is in Uganda.

Is that baileys I see you drinking there?? >_>

mfceiling · 29-05-2013 10:44PM

Can't wait til my wife's companies christmas party when i explain this theory to her fat, gay work colleague.

The Backwards Man · 29-05-2013 10:44PM

1ZRed wrote: »

In serious though that the hell is the connection between being fat and gay? Being overweight or obese is actually bad for you, being gay is not.

I think the connection they are trying to make 1Z, is that 50 years ago it was acceptable to hate someone for being gay. Nowadays it is acceptable to hate someone for being overweight. In fairness they have a bit of a point, but to compare a lifestyle choice to a sexual orientation is a bit mad.

Handsome Bob · 29-05-2013 10:46PM

Am I the only one with a strong case of deja vu?

kowloon · 29-05-2013 10:48PM

1ZRed wrote: »

Is that baileys I see you drinking there?? >_>

Fu<k, rumbled! :eek:

orestes · 29-05-2013 10:48PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I think the connection they are trying to make 1Z, is that 50 years ago it was acceptable to hate someone for being gay. Nowadays it is acceptable to hate someone for being overweight. In fairness they have a bit of a point, but to compare a lifestyle choice to a sexual orientation is a bit mad.

One of the main premises of their arguement is that being obese is no less of a lifestyle choice than being homosexual, therefore fatphobia is just as evil as homophobia.

From the article:

Nor is fatness, as conservatives often claim about homosexuality, a “lifestyle.” Body size is determined primarily by genetics, and while diets and exercise programs may produce short-term weight loss, they have a 95 percent failure rate over the long term. Yet like queer people living with hiv or aids, fat people are stigmatized for a condition that is imagined to be their fault.

BBDBB · 29-05-2013 10:49PM

Fat Pride would be a good parade to watch..........and a hell of a good buffet too

1ZRed · 29-05-2013 10:50PM

pharmaton wrote: »

I know a load of fat people and I've nothing against them but...

...just kidding.

Although the fact that it's equated with being gay is interesting as in my experience anyway, a lot of gay people tend to endure similar problems with accepting themselves and I'd be inclined to think they both stem from self esteem issues. Thought that much was obvious anyway. Its not so much about how they are perceived as to how they perceive themselves and the struggles with society that results in.

WHOLE other reasons for not accepting ourselves. It is not self esteem it's the fact that we are generally not liked or welcomed. Nobody wants a gay son, many don't want a gay friend or even have a gay person around them. That kind of mentality.

It's not like being fat and feeling unattractive, it's being looked down on and made to be lesser a lot of the time.

Being overweight and gay are poles apart.

pharmaton · 29-05-2013 10:52PM

1ZRed wrote: »

WHOLE other reasons for not accepting ourselves. It is not self esteem it's the fact that we are generally not liked or welcomed. Nobody wants a gay son, many don't want a gay friend or even have a gay person around them. That kind of mentality.

It's not like being fat and feeling unattractive, it's being looked down on and made to be lesser a lot of the time.

Being overweight and gay are poles apart.

you're preaching to the choir.

anyway, tldr and no interest in getting involved in another gay politics thread in AH.

The Backwards Man · 29-05-2013 10:53PM

orestes wrote: »

One of the main premises of their arguement is that being obese is no less of a lifestyle choice than being homosexual, therefore fatphobia is just as evil as homophobia.

From the article:

Ah, so they are homophobics masquerading as obese activists? That would make more sense alright.

Czarcasm · 29-05-2013 10:55PM

I'll premise this by saying I'm a guy who finds fat <insert your own euphemism here> girls sexually appealing, so for me it's rather simple-

The difference between being fat or being gay is that you can choose not to be fat; you can't choose not to be gay.

Zebra3 · 29-05-2013 10:56PM

BBDBB wrote: »

Fat Pride would be a good parade to watch

Might take a while though.

Gummy Panda · 29-05-2013 10:58PM

1ZRed wrote: »

In serious though that the hell is the connection between being fat and gay? Being overweight or obese is actually bad for you, being gay is not.

But it can be a pain in the ass if you're a guy!

Ba dum tish. Thank you I'm here all week.

OneArt · 29-05-2013 11:01PM

Screw fat pride, I'm going to start smoker's pride.

At least we're hotter.

orestes · 29-05-2013 11:05PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Ah, so they are homophobics masquerading as obese activists? That would make more sense alright.

Nope, the woman who wrote the article is apparently a lesbian, and is a thin woman who is engaged to a fat woman (her words, directly from the article). There's some weird conjecture about race toward the end of the article too, using the example of a black, fat lesbian activist (again, from the article, I'm really not trying to be a bastard here).

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 29-05-2013 11:05PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I think that's total bollocks.

I will say one thing though. The absolute vitriolic hatred that some people have for those that are overweight, which will no doubt come out in this thread, puzzles me.

Yeah, feckin fat people, taking our jobs but not our women

"Fat is the new gay"

Comments