0:00:00.727,0:00:02.803
I'm here today to talk to you

0:00:02.803,0:00:05.620
about a very powerful little word,

0:00:05.620,0:00:08.070
one that people will do almost anything

0:00:08.070,0:00:10.125
to avoid becoming.

0:00:10.125,0:00:12.634
Billion dollar industries thrive

0:00:12.634,0:00:14.254
because of the fear of it,

0:00:14.254,0:00:17.569
and those of us who undeniably are it

0:00:17.569,0:00:21.013
are left to navigate a relentless storm

0:00:21.013,0:00:22.338
surrounding it.

0:00:22.338,0:00:25.380
I'm not sure if any of you have noticed,

0:00:25.380,0:00:27.582
but I'm fat.

0:00:27.582,0:00:31.036
Not the lower case, muttered[br]behind my back kind,

0:00:31.036,0:00:34.587
or the seemingly harmless[br]chubby or cuddly.

0:00:34.587,0:00:39.898
I'm not even the more sophisticated[br]voluptuous or curvaceous kind.

0:00:39.898,0:00:41.886
Let's not sugar-coat it.

0:00:41.886,0:00:45.752
I am the capital F-A-T kind of fat.

0:00:45.752,0:00:50.240
I am the elephant in the room.

0:00:50.240,0:00:52.854
When I walked out on stage,

0:00:52.854,0:00:53.104
some of you may have been thinking,

0:00:55.978,0:00:57.985
"Aww, this is going to be hilarious,

0:00:57.985,0:00:59.383
because everybody knows[br]that fat people are funny."

0:00:59.383,0:01:00.717
(Laughter)

0:01:00.717,0:01:04.727
Or you may have been thinking,[br]"Where does she get her confidence from?"

0:01:04.727,0:01:08.939
Because a confident fat woman[br]is almost unthinkable.

0:01:08.939,0:01:11.302
The fashion-conscious[br]members of the audience

0:01:11.302,0:01:14.065
may have been thinking how fabulous I look

0:01:14.065,0:01:15.580
in this Beth Ditto dress --

0:01:15.580,0:01:16.796
(Cheers)

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thank you very much --

0:01:18.750,0:01:20.150
whereas some of you might have thought,

0:01:20.150,0:01:24.524
"Hmm, black would have been[br]so much more slimming."

0:01:24.524,0:01:27.137
You may have wondered, consciously or not,

0:01:27.137,0:01:29.981
if I have diabetes, or a partner,

0:01:29.981,0:01:33.370
or if I eat carbs after 7pm.

0:01:33.370,0:01:37.680
You may have worried that you[br]ate carbs after 7pm last night,

0:01:37.680,0:01:41.377
and that you really should renew[br]your gym membership.

0:01:41.377,0:01:43.778
These judgments are insidious.

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They can be directed[br]at individuals and groups,

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and they can also be directed[br]at ourselves.

0:01:49.188,0:01:50.849
And this way of thinking

0:01:50.849,0:01:53.494
is known as fat phobia.

0:01:53.494,0:01:56.455
Like any form of systematic oppression,

0:01:56.455,0:01:59.481
fat phobia is deeply rooted[br]in complex structures

0:01:59.481,0:02:03.822
like capitalism, patriarchy, and racism,

0:02:03.822,0:02:07.026
and that can make it[br]really difficult to see,

0:02:07.026,0:02:09.067
let alone challenge.

0:02:09.067,0:02:10.480
We live in a culture

0:02:10.480,0:02:15.364
where being fat is seen[br]as being a bad person,

0:02:15.364,0:02:18.930
lazy, greedy, unhealthy, irresponsible,

0:02:18.930,0:02:21.465
and morally suspect,

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and we tend to see thinness

0:02:23.322,0:02:26.335
as being universally good,

0:02:26.335,0:02:32.464
responsible, successful, and in control[br]of our appetites, bodies, and lives.

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We see these ideas again and again

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in the media, in public health policy,

0:02:37.759,0:02:39.076
doctors offices,

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in everyday conversations,

0:02:41.639,0:02:43.949
and in our own attitudes.

0:02:43.949,0:02:46.736
We may even blame fat people themselves

0:02:46.736,0:02:48.529
for the discrimination they face

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because, after all, if we don't like it,[br]we should just lose weight.

0:02:53.478,0:02:55.385
Easy.

0:02:55.385,0:02:57.920
This anti-fat bias has become

0:02:57.920,0:03:02.341
so integral, so ingrained[br]to how we value ourselves and each other

0:03:02.341,0:03:04.873
that we rarely question why

0:03:04.873,0:03:08.444
we have such contempt for people of size,

0:03:08.444,0:03:11.087
and where that disdain comes from.

0:03:11.087,0:03:13.119
But we must question it,

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because the enormous value[br]we place on how we look

0:03:16.256,0:03:19.014
affects every one of us.

0:03:19.014,0:03:21.678
And do we really want to live in a society

0:03:21.678,0:03:24.555
where people are denied[br]their basic humanity

0:03:24.555,0:03:29.724
if they don't subscribe to some[br]arbitrary form of acceptable?

0:03:29.724,0:03:34.094
So when I was six years old,[br]my sister used to teach ballet

0:03:34.094,0:03:36.877
to a bunch of little girls in our garage.

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I was about a foot taller and a foot wider[br]than most of the group.

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When it came to doing[br]our first performance,

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I was so excited about wearing[br]a pretty pink tutu.

0:03:47.313,0:03:50.847
I was going to sparkle.

0:03:50.847,0:03:55.057
As the other girls slipped easily[br]into their lycra and ?? creations,

0:03:55.057,0:03:59.042
not one of the tutus[br]was big enough to fit me.

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I was determined not to be[br]excluded from the performance,

0:04:02.785,0:04:06.087
so I turned to my mother

0:04:06.087,0:04:08.704
and loud enough for everyone to hear

0:04:08.704,0:04:12.107
said, "Mum, I don't need a tutu.

0:04:12.107,0:04:15.560
I need a fourfour."

0:04:15.560,0:04:18.437
Thanks mum.

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(Applause)

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And although I didn't[br]recognize it at the time,

0:04:25.360,0:04:28.336
claiming space for myself[br]in that glorious fourfour

0:04:28.336,0:04:30.523
was the first step towards becoming[br]a radical fat activist.

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Now, I'm not saying that this[br]whole body love thing

0:04:37.356,0:04:41.242
has been an easy skip along[br]a glittering path of self-acceptance

0:04:41.242,0:04:43.057
since that day in class.

0:04:43.057,0:04:44.894
Far from it.

0:04:44.894,0:04:49.120
I soon learned that living outside[br]what the mainstream considers normal

0:04:49.120,0:04:52.886
can be a frustrating and isolating place.

0:04:52.886,0:04:57.276
I've spent the last 20 years unpacking[br]and deprogramming these messages,

0:04:57.276,0:05:00.910
and it's been quite the rollercoaster.

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I've been openly laughed at,[br]abused from passing cars,

0:05:05.085,0:05:07.634
and been told that I'm delusional.

0:05:07.634,0:05:10.018
I also receive smiles from strangers

0:05:10.018,0:05:11.942
who recognize what it takes

0:05:11.942,0:05:13.356
to walk down the street

0:05:13.356,0:05:16.992
with a spring in your step[br]and your head held high.

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Thanks.

0:05:18.322,0:05:22.597
And through it all, that fierce little[br]six-year old has stayed with me,

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and she has helped me[br]stand before you today

0:05:25.195,0:05:28.302
as an unapologetic fat person,

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a person that simply refuses to subscribe

0:05:31.381,0:05:32.909
to the dominant narrative

0:05:32.909,0:05:37.411
about how I should move through the world[br]in this body of mine.

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(Applause)

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And I'm not alone.

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I am part of an international[br]community of people

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who choose to rather than passively[br]accepting that our bodies are

0:05:53.870,0:05:56.380
and probably always will be big,

0:05:56.380,0:05:58.899
we actively choose to flourish

0:05:58.899,0:06:01.303
in these bodies as they are today,

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people who honor our strength[br]and work with, not against,

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our perceived limitations,

0:06:07.470,0:06:09.539
people who value health

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as something much more holistic

0:06:11.950,0:06:15.279
than a number on an outdated BMI chart.

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Instead, we value mental health,[br]self-worth, and how we feel in our bodies

0:06:21.266,0:06:25.868
as vital aspects to our overall wellbeing,

0:06:25.868,0:06:29.239
people who refuse to believe that living[br]in these fat bodies is a barrier

0:06:29.239,0:06:33.749
to anything, really.

0:06:33.749,0:06:36.753
There are doctors, academics, and bloggers

0:06:36.753,0:06:39.154
who have written countless volumes

0:06:39.154,0:06:43.018
on the many facets[br]of this complex subject.

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There are fatchinistas[br]who reclaim their bodies

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and their beauty

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by wearing fatkinis and crop tops,

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exposing the flesh that[br]we're all taught to hide.

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There are fat athletes

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who run marathons, teach yoga,[br]or do kickboxing,

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all done with a middle finger[br]firmly held up to the status quo.

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And these people have taught me[br]that radical body politics

0:07:08.972,0:07:13.738
is the antidote to our[br]body-shaming culture.

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But to be clear, I'm not saying[br]that people shouldn't

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change their bodies if that's[br]what they want to do.

0:07:20.906,0:07:24.837
Reclaiming yourself can be one of[br]the most gorgeous acts of self-love

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and can look like[br]a million different things,

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from hairstyles to tattoos[br]to body contouring

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to hormones to surgery[br]and yes, even weight loss.

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It's simple: it's your body,

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and you decide what's best to do with it.

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My way of engaging in activism

0:07:44.338,0:07:47.233
is by doing all the things[br]that we fatties aren't supposed to do,

0:07:47.233,0:07:49.600
and there's a lot of them,

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inviting other people to join me[br]and then making art about it.

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The common thread through[br]most of this work

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has been reclaiming spaces that are[br]often prohibitive to bigger bodies,

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from the catwalk to club shows,

0:08:03.674,0:08:07.754
from public swimming pools[br]to prominent dance stages.

0:08:07.754,0:08:13.688
And reclaiming spaces en masse[br]is not only a powerful artistic statement

0:08:13.688,0:08:17.058
but a radical community-building approach.

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This was so true of Aquaporko,

0:08:21.089,0:08:27.912
the fat fem synchronized swim team I[br]started with a group of friends in Sydney.

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The impact of seeing a bunch[br]of defiant fat women

0:08:32.055,0:08:34.274
in flowery swimming caps and bathers

0:08:34.274,0:08:37.072
throwing their legs in the air[br]without a care

0:08:37.072,0:08:40.605
should not be underestimated.

0:08:40.605,0:08:43.039
(Laughter)

0:08:44.834,0:08:50.306
Throughout my career, I have learned[br]that fat bodies are inherently political,

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and unapologetic fat bodies

0:08:52.197,0:08:55.828
can blow people's minds.

0:08:55.828,0:08:58.938
When director Kate Champion,

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of acclaimed dance company Force Majeure,

0:09:01.800,0:09:04.398
asked me to be the artistic associate

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on a work featuring all fat dancers,

0:09:07.654,0:09:11.937
I literally jumped at the opportunity.

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And I mean literally.

0:09:14.806,0:09:18.669
"Nothing to Lose" is a work made[br]in collaboration with performers of size

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who drew from their lived experiences

0:09:21.728,0:09:26.365
to create a work as varied[br]and authentic as we all are,

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and it was as far from ballet[br]as you could imagine.

0:09:30.443,0:09:35.211
The very idea of a fat dance work[br]by such a prestigious company

0:09:35.211,0:09:37.480
was, to put it mildly, controversial,

0:09:37.480,0:09:46.935
because nothing like it had ever been done[br]on mainstream dance stages before

0:09:46.935,0:09:48.086
anywhere in the world.

0:09:48.086,0:09:50.043
People were skeptical.

0:09:50.043,0:09:53.709
"What do you mean, fat dancers?

0:09:53.709,0:09:56.012
Like, size 10, size 12 kind of fat?

0:09:56.012,0:10:02.160
Where did they do their dance training?

0:10:02.160,0:10:07.275
Are they going to have the stamina[br]for a full-length production?"

0:10:07.275,0:10:09.247
But despite the skepticism,

0:10:09.247,0:10:13.243
"Nothing to Lose" became[br]a sellout hit of Sydney Festival.

0:10:13.243,0:10:15.644
We received rave reviews, toured,

0:10:15.644,0:10:20.087
won awards, and were written about[br]in over 27 languages.

0:10:20.087,0:10:25.690
These incredible images of our cast[br]were seen worldwide.

0:10:25.690,0:10:30.130
I've lost count of how many times[br]people of all sizes

0:10:30.130,0:10:33.379
have told me that the show[br]has changed their lives,

0:10:33.379,0:10:35.945
how it helped them shift[br]their relationship

0:10:35.945,0:10:37.754
to their own and other people's bodies,

0:10:37.754,0:10:41.716
and how it made them confront[br]their own bias.

0:10:41.716,0:10:44.742
But of course, work[br]that pushes people's buttons

0:10:44.742,0:10:48.129
is not without its detractors.

0:10:48.129,0:10:51.617
I have been told[br]that I'm glorifying obesity.

0:10:51.617,0:10:54.098
I have received violent death threats

0:10:54.098,0:10:59.607
and abuse for daring to make work[br]that centers fat people's bodies and lives

0:10:59.607,0:11:06.314
and treats us as worthwhile human beings[br]with valuable stories to tell.

0:11:06.314,0:11:08.384
I've even been called

0:11:08.384,0:11:12.312
"the ISIS of the obesity epidemic,"

0:11:12.312,0:11:15.714
a comment so absurd that it is funny

0:11:15.714,0:11:18.959
but it also speaks to the panic,

0:11:18.959,0:11:20.836
the literal terror,

0:11:20.836,0:11:23.878
that the fear of fat can evoke.

0:11:23.878,0:11:27.263
It is this fear that's feeding[br]the diet industry,

0:11:27.263,0:11:31.982
which is keeping so many of us[br]from making peace with our own bodies,

0:11:31.982,0:11:34.415
for waiting to be the after-photo

0:11:34.415,0:11:37.738
before we truly start to live our lives,

0:11:37.738,0:11:42.176
because the real elephant[br]in the room her is fat phobia.

0:11:42.176,0:11:46.849
Fat activism refuses to indulge this fear.

0:11:46.849,0:11:51.088
By advocating for self-determination[br]and respect for all of us,

0:11:51.088,0:11:54.644
we can shift society's reluctance[br]to embrace diversity

0:11:54.644,0:12:00.755
and start to celebrate the myriad ways[br]there are to have a body.

0:12:00.755,0:12:02.576
Thank you.

0:12:02.576,0:12:07.163
(Applause)