Meet Jennifer Jonassen
Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to interview two members
of NAAFA: Linda Ramos is the President of the Los Angeles Chapter and
Lesleigh Owen is Secretary of the Los Angeles Chapter. The work they
are doing is critical given today's social predjidices towards it's
larger members. These courageous women are working hard to protect
basic human rights as well as trying to change the harmful stereotypes
that larger people are often pigeon-holed as being. It is with a great
deal of pride that I present them to you in this month's interview....
Jennifer: What is NAAFA?
Lesleigh:
The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, a fat
rights organization founded in 1969, which means next year will be our
40th anniversary (woohoo!). It began as more of a social organization
geared toward legitimizing romantic and social relationships among
peeps of varying sizes, but even before its members were explicitly
fighting for political rights of fat persons, it was a very political
organization. After all, in a sizeist culture, it's a political act for
fat people to convene, acknowledge ourselves as members of an oppressed
group, and discuss our experiences and coping strategies. Since its
inception 39 years ago, NAAFA has become even more explicitly
political. Its chief focuses right now include education, support, and
advocacy for people of size. NAAFA's a lot more overtly political now,
providing legal advocacy and fighting for public policy to protect
people who have experienced discrimination as a result of their body
size. But hey, NAAFA's still a fun organization; we just try to make
activism empowering and entertaining.
Linda: I would add that while there are other size acceptance groups
out there NAAFA is not only the first, but the preeminent and most
prominent.
Jennifer: When and why did you first become involved with NAAFA?
Linda: I learned of NAAFA and wanted to join, but there was always a
lack of money and fear. I was afraid to go by myself (even to a
NAAFA dance), always feeling both out of place and on display as a
societal reject wherever I went. In my thirties, the LA chapter
reformed and I was hooked from then on, feeling a sudden communal
belonging that only grew. I had long had an internalized feeling
that I was being mistreated and deserved more, and finally I had
confirmation that my conclusion were not only right, but shared by many
others.
Lesleigh: I've fought for social justice issues for most of my adult
life. Nearest and dearest my heart was always feminism, and in my 20s,
I founded and participated in several feminist organizations. Through
feminism, I felt confident attacking all forms of discrimination:
racism, homophobia, classism, and so on. But oddly enough, I felt a
vast silence in my feminist groups around topics of bodily differences:
fatness, disabilities, issues of health. It struck me as odd that
groups that focused on women gaining control over their bodies were
hesitant, sometimes even dismissive and discriminatory, when I brought
my fat body to the fore. So I read Shadow on a Tightrope and decided to
become involved in fat activism.
Jennifer: What are some of the issues that NAAFA addresses?
Linda: Children (considered "overwieght") are being torn from families;
despite the overwhelming proof of the harm these actions do and the
lack of evidence that such actions would ever change a child's body
type. Millions of healthy fat people are routinely denied health
coverage based on weight alone, no matter how healthy they are or
offered insurance that costs more than a mortgage. Employers
routinely deny fat people jobs, or discriminate against them while on
the job. Airlines can charge a large person for two fares
but refuse to grant the associated perks like miles that go with that
purchase.These are but a few of the serious issues NAAFAns strive daily
to change. NAAFA is developing a legal fund to help fight for the
expansion of rights in the courts and in legislatures.
Lesleigh: Also, studies show time and again that fat folks get paid
significantly less than our thinner counterparts; this is a disgusting
statistic that deserves immediate attention.
But NAAFA also attacks some of the smaller prejudices. It challenges
the stereotype that fat bodies are ugly and should be neither seen nor
heard; NAAFA provides a literal and verbal space for fat people to
convene and tell our stories. Also, it provides arenas for movement and
bodily appreciation that just aren't accessible to bodies of all sizes
in our everyday worlds. For example, at the Convention I just attended,
I bought an adorable red and black bikini and wore it to one of the
nightly swims. It may not seem like a big deal, but I think it's very
political to encourage people, especially people who are constantly
told we should hide or minimize our "unsightly" bodies, to get in touch
with our bodies' sensuality and beauty. I love being in a space where,
if I feel inclined, I can swim hard and push my body to its physical
limits or else simply relax in a hot tub and feel confident that
everyone accepts my physicality.
Another seemingly small example is NAAFA's annual fashion show, which
recruits models from Convention attendees. Women and men of all sizes,
shapes, abilities, colors, and sexualities can model beautiful clothing
in front of a crowd and shake their groove thangs to the sound of
thunderous applause. In how many spaces can bodies of all sizes be
celebrated, adored, and enthusiastically applauded? That's small-scale,
but still revolutionary, activism.
