Fat Activism Conference Discusses Civil Rights, Size Discrimination & Activism
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) August 19, 2014 -- Over 40 activists, speakers, performers and advocates are coming together for the Fat Activism Conference, a teleconference designed for people of all sizes who are interested in fighting against size discrimination, stigma, shame, and oppression faced by fat people.
The conference will run for three days: August 22-24, 2014.
Participating speakers include leading voices in Fat Activism, such as:
Ragen Chastain
Jeanette DePatie
Lynn McAfee
Tigress Osborn
Virgie Tovar
Lizabeth Wesely-Casella
The Fat Activism Conference was founded by Ragen Chastain – author, speaker, national dance champion and the creator of the wildly popular blog at http://www.danceswithfat.org – and Jeanette DePatie (AKA The Fat Chick) – author, speaker, licensed fitness instructor and blogger at http://www.everybodycanexercise.com – and was designed to be internationally accessible via telephone or VoIP and economically accessible as well. Registration starts at $39 and there is a “pay what you can” option available as well.
Conference details, including equitable registration fees, are available at http://www.fatactivismconference.com.
“I created this conference with Jeanette because I believe that basic respect and the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not size dependent,” said Ragen Chastain. “I believe that public health is about making options for health affordable and accessible to everyone, not making fat people’s bodies the public’s business. And I believe in respecting whatever choices others make about their bodies, whether or not they are the choices I would make. That is what this conference is all about.”
Presentations Include:
Health, Wellness and Rights in the Workplace
Intersectionality – Gender Equity, Disabilities and People of Color and Fat Activism
Athletics as Activism
Cosplay Empowerment
Managing Resistance to Fat Acceptance
Feminism, Pop Culture and Fat Activism
Advocacy and Civil Rights
The Superfat
Blogging as Activism
Conference attendees will learn about how to protect their civil rights, protect themselves from discrimination in the workplace, advocate for equality, navigate complex cultural systems and find community in a society that consistently oppresses people based on shape and size.
About Ragen Chastain
Ragen Chastain is a National Champion dancer, marathoner, and trained researcher who writes and speaks full-time about self-esteem, body image, and health. Ragen is featured in the documentaries “America the Beautiful 2 – The Thin Commandments,” “Ragen’s More Cabaret” (2014 for PBS Independent Lens) and "A Stage for Size" (2013 by USC Films).
Ragen has been published in forums including the Huffington Post, Calgary Herald, Jezebel.com and The Frisky.com, has been a guest on programs including NPR, BBC, HuffPost Live, Fox, ABC and NBC News, and has been featured as an expert in media including The Associated Press, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and FITNESS. She is the author of the blog Dances with Fat and of the book Fat: The Owner’s Manual, as well as a writer for NBCs iVillage, a columnist for Ms. Fit Magazine, and the editor of the multi-volume anthology The Politics of Size - Perspectives from the Fat Acceptance Movement, due out by Praeger in late 2014. Find out more about Ragen at http://www.danceswithfat.org
About Jeanette DePatie:
Jeanette DePatie (A.K.A. The Fat Chick) is a plus-sized, certified fitness instructor and personal trainer who has helped thousands of people who haven’t worked out in a while (or ever) learn to love their bodies and love exercise again. She is author of the best-selling book and DVD, “The Fat Chick Works Out!” and she offers training programs (including her Dance To It iOS App) and workouts on her website at: TheFatChick.com. Jeanette is co-creator of the forum at http://www.FitFatties.com with Ragen Chastain and the Hot Flash Mob movement with Dr. Eve Agee at http://www.HotFlashmob.com.
Ms. DePatie has been interviewed many times on television, radio and in print by many important organizations including “The Katie Couric Show,” NPR, “The Dr. Drew Show,” Fox, CBS and ABC News, The New York Times, The Wall St. Journal, and Women’s Health. You can learn more about Jeanette at: http://www.thefatchick.com.
For more information about the Fat Activism Conference, including the schedule, please visit the conference website or contact:
Jeanette DePatie
310-280-8301
jeanette(at)thefatchick(dot)com
Ragen Chastain
512-632-6080
ragen(at)danceswithfat(dot)org
Jeanette DePatie, The Fat Chick, http://www.everybodycanexercise.com, +1 310-280-8301, [email protected]
Share this article