0:00:00.960,0:00:05.496
I'm here today to talk to you[br]about a very powerful little word,

0:00:05.520,0:00:08.055
one that people will do almost anything

0:00:08.080,0:00:09.360
to avoid becoming.

0:00:10.280,0:00:12.536
Billion-dollar industries thrive

0:00:12.560,0:00:14.336
because of the fear of it,

0:00:14.360,0:00:17.536
and those of us who undeniably are it

0:00:17.560,0:00:19.896
are left to navigate a relentless storm

0:00:19.920,0:00:21.120
surrounding it.

0:00:22.120,0:00:24.856
I'm not sure if any of you have noticed,

0:00:24.880,0:00:26.240
but I'm fat.

0:00:27.600,0:00:30.576
Not the lowercase,[br]muttered-behind-my-back kind,

0:00:30.600,0:00:33.976
or the seemingly harmless[br]chubby or cuddly.

0:00:34.000,0:00:38.600
I'm not even the more sophisticated[br]voluptuous or curvaceous kind.

0:00:39.720,0:00:41.696
Let's not sugarcoat it.

0:00:41.720,0:00:45.576
I am the capital F-A-T kind of fat.

0:00:45.600,0:00:48.200
I am the elephant in the room.

0:00:50.040,0:00:51.576
When I walked out on stage,

0:00:51.600,0:00:53.296
some of you may have been thinking,

0:00:53.320,0:00:55.736
"Aww, this is going to be hilarious,

0:00:55.760,0:00:58.376
because everybody knows[br]that fat people are funny."

0:00:58.400,0:01:00.416
(Laughter)

0:01:00.440,0:01:04.575
Or you may have been thinking,[br]"Where does she get her confidence from?"

0:01:04.599,0:01:07.920
Because a confident fat woman[br]is almost unthinkable.

0:01:08.800,0:01:11.016
The fashion-conscious[br]members of the audience

0:01:11.040,0:01:13.696
may have been thinking how fabulous I look

0:01:13.720,0:01:15.296
in this Beth Ditto dress --

0:01:15.320,0:01:16.536
(Cheers)

0:01:16.560,0:01:18.456
thank you very much.

0:01:18.480,0:01:20.376
Whereas some of you might have thought,

0:01:20.400,0:01:23.056
"Hmm, black would have been[br]so much more slimming."

0:01:23.080,0:01:24.336
(Laughter)

0:01:24.360,0:01:26.856
You may have wondered, consciously or not,

0:01:26.880,0:01:29.816
if I have diabetes, or a partner,

0:01:29.840,0:01:32.056
or if I eat carbs after 7pm.

0:01:32.080,0:01:33.336
(Laughter)

0:01:33.360,0:01:37.296
You may have worried[br]that you ate carbs after 7pm last night,

0:01:37.320,0:01:40.040
and that you really should renew[br]your gym membership.

0:01:41.320,0:01:43.576
These judgments are insidious.

0:01:43.600,0:01:46.176
They can be directed[br]at individuals and groups,

0:01:46.200,0:01:48.760
and they can also[br]be directed at ourselves.

0:01:49.360,0:01:52.560
And this way of thinking[br]is known as fatphobia.

0:01:53.800,0:01:56.216
Like any form of systematic oppression,

0:01:56.240,0:01:59.896
fatphobia is deeply rooted[br]in complex structures

0:01:59.920,0:02:03.976
like capitalism, patriarchy and racism,

0:02:04.000,0:02:06.776
and that can make it[br]really difficult to see,

0:02:06.800,0:02:08.080
let alone challenge.

0:02:09.000,0:02:10.256
We live in a culture

0:02:10.280,0:02:15.256
where being fat[br]is seen as being a bad person --

0:02:15.280,0:02:19.096
lazy, greedy, unhealthy, irresponsible

0:02:19.120,0:02:20.600
and morally suspect.

0:02:21.440,0:02:23.016
And we tend to see thinness

0:02:23.040,0:02:25.240
as being universally good --

0:02:26.040,0:02:28.056
responsible, successful,

0:02:28.080,0:02:31.440
and in control of our appetites,[br]bodies and lives.

0:02:32.240,0:02:34.576
We see these ideas again and again

0:02:34.600,0:02:37.536
in the media, in public health policy,

0:02:37.560,0:02:39.176
doctors' offices,

0:02:39.200,0:02:41.376
in everyday conversations

0:02:41.400,0:02:43.080
and in our own attitudes.

0:02:43.880,0:02:46.856
We may even blame fat people themselves

0:02:46.880,0:02:48.456
for the discrimination they face

0:02:48.480,0:02:53.176
because, after all, if we don't like it,[br]we should just lose weight.

0:02:53.200,0:02:54.440
Easy.

0:02:55.360,0:02:59.856
This antifat bias has become[br]so integral, so ingrained

0:02:59.880,0:03:02.416
to how we value ourselves and each other

0:03:02.440,0:03:08.176
that we rarely question why[br]we have such contempt for people of size

0:03:08.200,0:03:10.040
and where that disdain comes from.

0:03:10.960,0:03:12.896
But we must question it,

0:03:12.920,0:03:16.096
because the enormous value[br]we place on how we look

0:03:16.120,0:03:18.240
affects every one of us.

0:03:19.000,0:03:21.536
And do we really want to live in a society

0:03:21.560,0:03:24.496
where people are denied[br]their basic humanity

0:03:24.520,0:03:28.480
if they don't subscribe[br]to some arbitrary form of acceptable?

0:03:30.200,0:03:31.936
So when I was six years old,

0:03:31.960,0:03:36.496
my sister used to teach ballet[br]to a bunch of little girls in our garage.

0:03:36.520,0:03:39.720
I was about a foot taller and a foot wider[br]than most of the group.

0:03:40.400,0:03:42.536
When it came to doing[br]our first performance,

0:03:42.560,0:03:47.176
I was so excited[br]about wearing a pretty pink tutu.

0:03:47.200,0:03:49.720
I was going to sparkle.

0:03:50.800,0:03:54.936
As the other girls slipped easily[br]into their Lycra and tulle creations,

0:03:54.960,0:03:57.840
not one of the tutus[br]was big enough to fit me.

0:03:58.720,0:04:02.856
I was determined not to be[br]excluded from the performance,

0:04:02.880,0:04:05.696
so I turned to my mother

0:04:05.720,0:04:08.656
and loud enough for everyone to hear

0:04:08.680,0:04:12.296
said, "Mom, I don't need a tutu.

0:04:12.320,0:04:14.496
I need a fourfour."

0:04:14.520,0:04:15.720
(Laughter)

0:04:17.760,0:04:18.976
Thanks, Mom.

0:04:19.000,0:04:22.536
(Applause)

0:04:22.560,0:04:24.976
And although I didn't[br]recognize it at the time,

0:04:25.000,0:04:28.256
claiming space for myself[br]in that glorious fourfour

0:04:28.280,0:04:33.160
was the first step towards becoming[br]a radical fat activist.

0:04:34.080,0:04:36.696
Now, I'm not saying[br]that this whole body-love thing

0:04:36.720,0:04:40.976
has been an easy skip along[br]a glittering path of self-acceptance

0:04:41.000,0:04:42.896
since that day in class.

0:04:42.920,0:04:44.120
Far from it.

0:04:44.760,0:04:48.936
I soon learned that living outside[br]what the mainstream considers normal

0:04:48.960,0:04:51.800
can be a frustrating and isolating place.

0:04:52.640,0:04:57.336
I've spent the last 20 years unpacking[br]and deprogramming these messages,

0:04:57.360,0:05:00.080
and it's been quite the roller coaster.

0:05:00.880,0:05:04.896
I've been openly laughed at,[br]abused from passing cars

0:05:04.920,0:05:06.560
and been told that I'm delusional.

0:05:07.400,0:05:09.856
I also receive smiles from strangers

0:05:09.880,0:05:12.696
who recognize what it takes[br]to walk down the street

0:05:12.720,0:05:15.296
with a spring in your step[br]and your head held high.

0:05:15.320,0:05:16.656
(Cheer)

0:05:16.680,0:05:18.016
Thanks.

0:05:18.040,0:05:22.096
And through it all, that fierce[br]little six-year-old has stayed with me,

0:05:22.120,0:05:24.976
and she has helped me[br]stand before you today

0:05:25.000,0:05:28.016
as an unapologetic fat person,

0:05:28.040,0:05:31.136
a person that simply refuses to subscribe

0:05:31.160,0:05:32.576
to the dominant narrative

0:05:32.600,0:05:36.296
about how I should move[br]through the world in this body of mine.

0:05:36.320,0:05:39.120
(Applause)

0:05:44.240,0:05:45.520
And I'm not alone.

0:05:46.440,0:05:49.576
I am part of an international[br]community of people

0:05:49.600,0:05:52.216
who choose to, rather[br]than passively accepting

0:05:52.240,0:05:56.176
that our bodies are[br]and probably always will be big,

0:05:56.200,0:06:00.520
we actively choose to flourish[br]in these bodies as they are today.

0:06:01.280,0:06:05.056
People who honor our strength[br]and work with, not against,

0:06:05.080,0:06:07.456
our perceived limitations,

0:06:07.480,0:06:09.296
people who value health

0:06:09.320,0:06:11.776
as something much more holistic

0:06:11.800,0:06:14.976
than a number on an outdated BMI chart.

0:06:15.000,0:06:21.096
Instead, we value mental health,[br]self-worth and how we feel in our bodies

0:06:21.120,0:06:24.600
as vital aspects[br]to our overall well-being.

0:06:25.560,0:06:28.776
People who refuse to believe[br]that living in these fat bodies

0:06:28.800,0:06:32.640
is a barrier to anything, really.

0:06:33.400,0:06:36.656
There are doctors, academics and bloggers

0:06:36.680,0:06:38.856
who have written countless volumes

0:06:38.880,0:06:42.040
on the many facets[br]of this complex subject.

0:06:42.720,0:06:47.616
There are fatshionistas[br]who reclaim their bodies and their beauty

0:06:47.640,0:06:50.576
by wearing fatkinis and crop tops,

0:06:50.600,0:06:53.520
exposing the flesh[br]that we're all taught to hide.

0:06:54.200,0:06:55.776
There are fat athletes

0:06:55.800,0:06:59.776
who run marathons,[br]teach yoga or do kickboxing,

0:06:59.800,0:07:04.560
all done with a middle finger[br]firmly held up to the status quo.

0:07:05.560,0:07:09.056
And these people have taught me[br]that radical body politics

0:07:09.080,0:07:12.360
is the antidote[br]to our body-shaming culture.

0:07:13.760,0:07:18.456
But to be clear, I'm not saying[br]that people shouldn't change their bodies

0:07:18.480,0:07:19.960
if that's what they want to do.

0:07:20.600,0:07:24.576
Reclaiming yourself can be one[br]of the most gorgeous acts of self-love

0:07:24.600,0:07:27.200
and can look like[br]a million different things,

0:07:27.920,0:07:31.696
from hairstyles to tattoos[br]to body contouring

0:07:31.720,0:07:34.800
to hormones to surgery[br]and yes, even weight loss.

0:07:35.320,0:07:37.616
It's simple: it's your body,

0:07:37.640,0:07:40.080
and you decide what's best to do with it.

0:07:40.920,0:07:43.816
My way of engaging in activism

0:07:43.840,0:07:46.936
is by doing all the things[br]that we fatties aren't supposed to do,

0:07:46.960,0:07:48.496
and there's a lot of them,

0:07:48.520,0:07:52.720
inviting other people to join me[br]and then making art about it.

0:07:53.720,0:07:55.776
The common thread[br]through most of this work

0:07:55.800,0:08:00.456
has been reclaiming spaces that are[br]often prohibitive to bigger bodies,

0:08:00.480,0:08:03.416
from the catwalk to club shows,

0:08:03.440,0:08:07.000
from public swimming pools[br]to prominent dance stages.

0:08:08.280,0:08:13.416
And reclaiming spaces en masse[br]is not only a powerful artistic statement

0:08:13.440,0:08:16.000
but a radical community-building approach.

0:08:17.120,0:08:19.936
This was so true of "AQUAPORKO!" --

0:08:19.960,0:08:21.896
(Laughter)

0:08:21.920,0:08:24.536
the fat fem synchronized swim team

0:08:24.560,0:08:27.000
I started with a group[br]of friends in Sydney.

0:08:28.400,0:08:31.776
The impact of seeing[br]a bunch of defiant fat women

0:08:31.800,0:08:34.015
in flowery swimming caps and bathers

0:08:34.039,0:08:36.856
throwing their legs in the air[br]without a care

0:08:36.880,0:08:39.000
should not be underestimated.

0:08:41.400,0:08:43.640
(Laughter)

0:08:44.440,0:08:50.016
Throughout my career, I have learned[br]that fat bodies are inherently political,

0:08:50.040,0:08:52.136
and unapologetic fat bodies

0:08:52.160,0:08:55.040
can blow people's minds.

0:08:56.360,0:08:58.736
When director Kate Champion,

0:08:58.760,0:09:01.736
of acclaimed dance theater[br]company Force Majeure,

0:09:01.760,0:09:04.216
asked me to be the artistic associate

0:09:04.240,0:09:07.536
on a work featuring all fat dancers,

0:09:07.560,0:09:10.680
I literally jumped at the opportunity.

0:09:11.640,0:09:13.200
And I mean literally.

0:09:14.720,0:09:18.896
"Nothing to Lose" is a work made[br]in collaboration with performers of size

0:09:18.920,0:09:21.496
who drew from their lived experiences

0:09:21.520,0:09:26.056
to create a work as varied[br]and authentic as we all are.

0:09:26.080,0:09:29.320
And it was as far from ballet[br]as you could imagine.

0:09:30.120,0:09:34.936
The very idea of a fat dance work[br]by such a prestigious company

0:09:34.960,0:09:39.056
was, to put it mildly, controversial,

0:09:39.080,0:09:44.096
because nothing like it had ever been done[br]on mainstream dance stages before

0:09:44.120,0:09:45.960
anywhere in the world.

0:09:47.200,0:09:48.960
People were skeptical.

0:09:49.800,0:09:53.376
"What do you mean, 'fat dancers?'

0:09:53.400,0:09:57.800
Like, size 10, size 12 kind of fat?

0:09:58.840,0:10:01.896
Where did they do their dance training?

0:10:01.920,0:10:05.480
Are they going to have the stamina[br]for a full-length production?"

0:10:06.760,0:10:08.696
But despite the skepticism,

0:10:08.720,0:10:12.816
"Nothing to Lose" became[br]a sellout hit of Sydney Festival.

0:10:12.840,0:10:15.176
We received rave reviews, toured,

0:10:15.200,0:10:19.736
won awards and were written about[br]in over 27 languages.

0:10:19.760,0:10:24.200
These incredible images of our cast[br]were seen worldwide.

0:10:25.440,0:10:29.976
I've lost count of how many times[br]people of all sizes

0:10:30.000,0:10:33.096
have told me that the show[br]has changed their lives,

0:10:33.120,0:10:35.136
how it helped them[br]shift their relationship

0:10:35.160,0:10:37.496
to their own and other people's bodies,

0:10:37.520,0:10:40.280
and how it made them confront[br]their own bias.

0:10:41.440,0:10:44.776
But of course, work[br]that pushes people's buttons

0:10:44.800,0:10:47.000
is not without its detractors.

0:10:47.960,0:10:51.296
I have been told[br]that I'm glorifying obesity.

0:10:51.320,0:10:53.816
I have received violent death threats

0:10:53.840,0:10:59.296
and abuse for daring to make work[br]that centers fat people's bodies and lives

0:10:59.320,0:11:04.840
and treats us as worthwhile human beings[br]with valuable stories to tell.

0:11:06.040,0:11:07.616
I've even been called

0:11:07.640,0:11:10.576
"the ISIS of the obesity epidemic" --

0:11:10.600,0:11:12.296
(Laughter)

0:11:12.320,0:11:14.880
a comment so absurd that it is funny.

0:11:16.000,0:11:18.776
But it also speaks to the panic,

0:11:18.800,0:11:20.776
the literal terror,

0:11:20.800,0:11:22.880
that the fear of fat can evoke.

0:11:23.600,0:11:26.976
It is this fear that's feeding[br]the diet industry,

0:11:27.000,0:11:31.776
which is keeping so many of us[br]from making peace with our own bodies,

0:11:31.800,0:11:34.096
for waiting to be the after-photo

0:11:34.120,0:11:37.376
before we truly start to live our lives.

0:11:37.400,0:11:41.200
Because the real elephant[br]in the room here is fatphobia.

0:11:42.480,0:11:46.536
Fat activism refuses to indulge this fear.

0:11:46.560,0:11:50.856
By advocating for self-determination[br]and respect for all of us,

0:11:50.880,0:11:54.816
we can shift society's reluctance[br]to embrace diversity

0:11:54.840,0:11:59.840
and start to celebrate the myriad ways[br]there are to have a body.

0:12:00.480,0:12:01.736
Thank you.

0:12:01.760,0:12:07.156
(Applause)