CALL FOR PROPOSALS
he New York City radical fat political group “Fat and Queer” [FAQ] is organizing a one day conference in February entitled ” ‘Fat is Contagious:’ Political Fat Queer Visibility and Action in the Era of the ‘Obesity
Epidemic.’ ”The event will occur in Manhattan on Saturday February 23, 2008 at the University Settlement House, a wheel-chair accessible space in the Lower East Side at Bowery/Houston.
The keynote address will be given by Marilyn Wann, author of Fat?So!: Because You Don’t Have to Apologize
for Your Size.Following that, we will have two sessions of workshops, with three workshops in each session. In the evening we hope to have a cabaret performance and dance party and are still negotiating space for that event.
We are currently issuing a call for proposals for workshops on the topic of political fat queer visibility and action in the era of the ‘obesity epidemic.’
We specifically seek workshop proposals which are action-oriented and are on the following themes,
however all submissions will be considered:* Building Fat/Social Activist networks
* Fat studies/fat theory
* Weight loss and fat activism
* Health at any size
* Trans and fat
* Fat and sexuality
* Allies
* History of Fat activism
* Fat activism within social justice movements and
creating solidarity with other social justice
movements
* Guerrilla art/action
* Childhood obesity
* Medical self advocacyIf you are interested in submitting, please send your workshop proposal to: NYC.FAQ @gmail.com by January 20, 2008.
If you would like to be kept up to date on FAQ events, join our listserve.
To help organize the conference and other FAQ events, join our organizers’ listserve.
More details about the specifics of the conference will be forthcoming.
I’m not sure I understand the intersection of “fat” and “queer” here, or more specifically what one kind of activism has to do with the other. Are the organizers suggesting that “fat” is a queer identity much like “trans” or “lesbian”? Or is this a conference on the experience of fat people who are queer (or vice versa) – sort of like one might hold a conference for/about queer people of color?
If the latter, what’s the difference between “Political Fat Queer Visibility and Action” and “Political Fat Visibility and Action?” Are there political issues around fat that are specific to fat people who are queer?
Alana: At least with gay and bisexual men, yes there are unique issues and concerns about how accepting the gay community is in regards to varieties of body type, frequencies of eating disorders, representation and subculture. There is an extended history of in-fighting between “bears” and “twinks” for example.
This is a conference on the experience of fat people who also happen to be queer, yes. Or if you prefer, queer people who also happen to be fat.
[...] They’ll Be Calling Us Terrorists: A great look at a reaction by Catholicism to gay folk. * Feministe – Fat and Queer: Call for Proposals: If I lived in New York City, I would want to attend this. Plus, the comments have an interesting [...]