body positivity

With her book Curvy Girl Sex: 101 Body-Positive Positions to Empower Your Sex Life (Fair Winds Press, 2017) Elle Chase gave us a guide for methods, positions and sex hacks for fat lovers with a range of different body types, centering all kinds of people who have long had their sexuality marginalized, denied or erased. In a conversation with Scarleteen, Chase talks about the book, how the media is changing its portrayal of fat people, the relevance of the word “plus size,” and her personal experiences with her own body acceptance and sexual journey.

This week we (ahem) take a second to reflect on the myriad of ways that you can practice self-care, and review how important it is, especially for marginalized folks, to love and protect ourselves fiercely in a world that does not often leave room for either.

This week focuses on Sonya Renee and the folks over at The Body is Not An Apology, a resource devoted to the idea that no one should have to feel ashamed about their body. There are quite a few articles, workshops, and user submissions across a broad range of experiences, with a focus on the intersectional nature of identity and the belief that the personal is political.

You're asking a common question Arty. I want to turn that question around a little. What difference would it make if this was baby fat? Your answer can tell you a lot about the messages about bodies, beauty, and worth you've internalized over the years. Everyone's answer will be different, and I can...

soclara continues Because I lost all this weight without any form of exercise outside of basic walking when necessary or working, my body is legitimately disgusting. It's flabby, loose, my breasts are like half empty sacks, my thighs are humongous blobs of fat and cellulite (not exaggerating, not...

Our societies are chock full of norms and ideals of beauty, and we all run up against them eventually. These norms and expectations often have a hand in shaping how we feel about our own bodies. When you're a teen and trying to sort out how to feel comfortable in your changing body, these messages can be very potent indeed. So, what can you do - and what shouldn't you do - to help teens feel at home in their own skin?

Some thoughts and tips on navigating sexuality as a fat teen, and dealing with sizeism and fatphobia.