|
HOME
WHAT IS NAAFA?
HOW DO I JOIN?
WHY JOIN?
From The CHAIR
MORE EVENTS
PICTURES
ACTIVISM
LINKS
GUESTBOOK
MAILING LIST
EMAIL
Capital Chapter
of NAAFA
P. O. Box A
McLean, VA 22101
703-912-1646
|
NEW WEBSITE ADDRESS:
http://www.capitalnaafa.org/
Activism and You-Part I
Capitol Chapter member Ruth Silverman wrote the following
article on fat activism, and we liked it so much, we thought we'd pass it along to you. Part two of the article
will be published in our next issue. If you would like to submit an article for publication in the newsletter &
online, we encourage you to do so. Please send it to [email protected]/
Why should you be an activist? Activism is good for your self-esteem. Every time you open your mouth in defense
of our rights-your rights-you will feel better about yourself. You'll feel more in control of your world, more
courageous, more powerful, and more at peace. For you, activism may be simply going out of your home and facing
a possibly hostile world. You may not be ready to visit a senator to urge a policy of civil rights for fat people.
But there are some things you can do as you enter the world of fat activism. Here's a list that I've developed.
· Write letters. Express yourself. If you wish, join the National NAAFA Activist Task Force, which requires
only that you write 3 letters each year. Or, just do it on your own, when the spirit moves you.
· Distribute leaflets. National NAAFA has numerous appropriate leaflets, at low cost, that you could leave in
offices or at schools, or mail with or without a note or a post-it (these leaflets can be obtained from NAAFA,
PO box 188620, Sacramento CA 95818, or by calling (916) 558-6880).
· Find a support community on email. Consider reading the Usenet postings on alt.support.big-folks to lift
your spirits, or subscribe to NAAFA-members e-mail lists, by writing to [email protected], and in the body
of the message put: subscribe naafa-members your name.
· Send e-mail messages to officials and executives, expressing your point of view. You can write up a file, and
e-mail it out to lots of people. Express yourself in your own words--it's very effective.
· Make telephone calls. Many fat people feel more powerful on the telephone, where their voice projects well,
and they don't feel negative feedback based on their looks. [Note from the Vice-Chair: one of our members told
us that she recently called the Jenny Jones and Rikki Lake shows to complain about the way they are portraying
fat people].
· Participate in activism that makes you happy. In this holiday season, many of us will receive (or fear) negative
comments when eating in the presence of others. I suggest two possible responses to people who criticize you directly,
or even indirectly, by making remarks about their own fears of getting fat. First, you might tell them that you
accept yourself as you are, and second, you can simply say to them, "Are you aware that you are offending
me?" Taking either or both of these approaches are better than verbally assaulting the person who has made
the comments. I have regrets about the times I have attacked in response. Assertion works better than aggression
in this situation.
However you choose to participate in fat activism, I wish you all a Happy New Year. Together, maybe we can make
the New Year one in which there is more acceptance for diversity!
-Ruth Silverman
*Visit the NAAFA's national website and join the Fat
Activism Email/Group list for updated activism opportunities. http://www.naafa.org/
|