Thread: The limitations & fundamental problems w/ #bodypositivity rest in it's manner of dealing with POWER, in 3 fundamental ways: 1) where it places personal responsibility, 2) how it centers those already in cultural power, 3) off whom it profits #fatacceptance #fatliberation
1) PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY: Body positivity places the burden of its mission--being positive about bodies--on individuals. This becomes about managing emotions that affect us rather than dealing w/ the expectations and inequalities that affect our bodies & are out of our control.
Fat liberation address the underlying issues of structural injustice against non-conforming bodies AND makes room for people to express all types of emotions about their bodies and treatment thereof.
2) CENTERING of THIN-, WHITE-, CIS-GENDER FEMALE folk: Body positivity centers people who already experience a great amount of cultural acceptance & power. This perpetuates the marginalization of bodies that are not thin/white/cis/female, which upholds body injustice & inequality
Fat liberation seeks to center the experience of the marginalized and to challenge the power dynamics--not the inherent worth--of conforming bodies (thin, white, cis-gender females).
3) PROFITABILITY: Body positivity is currently a buzz-phrase for marketing, whether you're marketing a physical product, service, or *yourself*.
Fat liberation isn't about what is marketable; it's about changing our society into one that recognizes the inherent dignity of EVERY BODY by calling out those who want our $ & who couldn't care less about our actual health.
To sum it up, BODY POSITIVITY has been co-opted by the people in power for ignoring structural inequity & profitability. FAT LIBERATION is about setting people in all types of bodies free to live & move & have their being.
@threadreaderapp unroll
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
