0:00:17.730,0:00:22.480
I'm here today to talk to you[br]about a very powerful little word,

0:00:22.480,0:00:26.540
one that people will do[br]almost anything to avoid becoming.

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Billion-dollar industries thrive[br]because of the fear of it.

0:00:31.180,0:00:34.300
Those of us who undeniably are it

0:00:34.300,0:00:37.740
are left to navigate[br]a relentless storm surrounding it.

0:00:38.940,0:00:42.960
I'm not sure if any of you[br]have noticed, but I'm fat.

0:00:42.960,0:00:43.830
(Laughter)

0:00:44.490,0:00:47.500
Not the lowercase [br]muttered-behind-my-back kind,

0:00:47.510,0:00:50.620
or the seemingly harmless[br]chubby or cuddly.

0:00:50.620,0:00:55.660
I'm not even the more sophisticated[br]voluptuous or curvaceous kind.

0:00:56.660,0:00:58.549
Let's not sugarcoat it.[br]

0:00:58.549,0:01:02.539
I am the capital F-A-T kind of fat.

0:01:02.539,0:01:05.080
I am the elephant in the room.

0:01:05.080,0:01:06.560
(Laughter)

0:01:06.860,0:01:10.350
When I walked out on stage,[br]some of you may have been thinking,

0:01:10.350,0:01:12.720
"Oh, this is going to be hilarious,

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because everybody knows[br]that fat people are funny."

0:01:15.530,0:01:16.980
(Laughter)

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Or you may have been thinking,[br]"Where does she get her confidence from?"

0:01:21.390,0:01:24.800
because a confident fat woman[br]is almost unthinkable.

0:01:25.610,0:01:29.040
The fashion-conscious members[br]of the audience may have been thinking

0:01:29.040,0:01:32.110
how fabulous I look[br]in this vestido dress

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(Cheers)[br](Applause)

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- thank you very much!-

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whereas some of you might have thought,

0:01:36.600,0:01:39.790
"Mmm, black would have been[br]so much more slimming."

0:01:39.840,0:01:41.100
(Laughter)

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You may have wondered, consciously or not,

0:01:43.790,0:01:49.040
if I have diabetes, or a partner,[br]or if I eat carbs after 7pm.

0:01:49.040,0:01:50.190
(Laughter)

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You may have worried [br]that you ate carbs after 7pm last night

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(Laughter)

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and that you really should renew[br]your gym membership.

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(Laughter)

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These judgments are insidious;

0:02:00.440,0:02:03.109
they can be directed [br]to individuals and groups.

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

0:02:06.219,0:02:09.980
and this way of thinking[br]is known as "fatphobia."

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Like any form of systematic oppression,[br]fatphobia is deeply rooted

0:02:15.150,0:02:20.450
in complex structures like capitalism,[br]patriarchy, and racism,

0:02:20.790,0:02:25.100
and that can make it really difficult[br]to see, let alone challenge.

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We live in a culture where being fat[br]is seen as being a bad person;

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lazy, greedy, unhealthy,[br]irresponsible, and morally suspect.

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And we tend to see thinness[br]as being universally good;

0:02:43.060,0:02:48.580
responsible, successful, and in control[br]of our appetites, bodies, and lives.

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We see these ideas again and again[br]in the media, in public health policy,

0:02:54.410,0:02:58.299
doctor's offices,[br]in everyday conversations

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and in our own attitudes.

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We may even blame fat people themselves[br]for the discrimination they face

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

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Easy!

0:03:12.200,0:03:15.890
This anti-fat bias has become so integral,

0:03:15.890,0:03:19.470
so ingrained to how we value[br]ourselves and each other

0:03:19.470,0:03:23.290
that we rarely question[br]why we have such contempt

0:03:23.290,0:03:27.159
for people of size[br]and where that disdain comes from.

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But we must question it

0:03:29.709,0:03:35.249
because the enormous value we place[br]on how we look affects every one of us.

0:03:35.879,0:03:38.419
Do we really want to live in a society

0:03:38.419,0:03:41.600
where people are denied[br]their basic humanity

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if they don't subscribe[br]to some arbitrary form of "acceptable"?

0:03:47.130,0:03:48.959
So when I was six years old,

0:03:48.959,0:03:52.759
my sister used to teach ballet[br]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 the most of the group.

0:03:57.310,0:03:59.509
When it came to doing[br]our first performance,

0:03:59.509,0:04:03.670
I was so excited about wearing[br]a pretty pink tu-tu.

0:04:04.090,0:04:06.970
I was going to sparkle.

0:04:07.700,0:04:11.760
As the other girls slipped easily[br]into their lycra and shorts creations,

0:04:11.760,0:04:15.179
not one of the tu-tus[br]was big enough to fit me.

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

0:04:19.840,0:04:25.590
so I turned to my mother,[br]and loud enough for everyone to hear,

0:04:25.590,0:04:31.140
said, "Mum, I don't need a tu-tu,[br]I need a four-four!"

0:04:31.140,0:04:33.290
(Laughter)

0:04:34.710,0:04:35.790
Thanks, mum.

0:04:35.790,0:04:38.850
(Applause)

0:04:39.430,0:04:41.910
And although I didn't recognize it[br]at the time,

0:04:41.910,0:04:45.150
claiming space for myself[br]in that glorious four-four

0:04:45.150,0:04:49.830
was the first step towards becoming[br]a radical fat activist.

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

0:04:53.080,0:04:57.200
has been an easy skip[br]along a glittering path of self-acceptance

0:04:57.200,0:05:00.550
since that day in class, far from it.

0:05:01.020,0:05:05.200
I soon learned that living outside[br]what the mainstream considers normal

0:05:05.200,0:05:08.150
can be a frustrating and isolating place.

0:05:08.790,0:05:13.660
I've spent the last 20 years unpacking[br]and deprogramming these messages,

0:05:13.660,0:05:16.870
and it's been quite a roller coaster.

0:05:17.210,0:05:20.950
I've been openly laughed at, [br]abused from passing cars,

0:05:20.950,0:05:23.270
and been told that I'm delusional.

0:05:23.660,0:05:26.230
I also receive smiles from strangers

0:05:26.230,0:05:29.130
who recognize what it takes[br]to walk down the street

0:05:29.130,0:05:31.580
with a spring in your step[br]and your head held high.

0:05:31.580,0:05:32.690
(Cheers)

0:05:32.940,0:05:34.150
Thanks.

0:05:34.450,0:05:35.500
Through it all,

0:05:35.500,0:05:38.370
that fierce little six-year-old[br]has stayed with me,

0:05:38.370,0:05:43.900
and she has helped me stand before you[br]today as an unapologetic fat person.

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A person that simply refuses [br]to subscribe to the dominant narrative

0:05:48.940,0:05:53.190
about how I should move [br]through the world in this body of mine.

0:05:53.190,0:05:54.540
And I'm not alone.

0:05:54.540,0:05:58.400
I am part of an international community[br]of people who choose to,

0:05:58.420,0:06:01.480
rather than passively accepting[br]that our bodies are

0:06:01.490,0:06:04.000
and probably always will be big,

0:06:04.020,0:06:09.000
we actively choose to flourish[br]in these bodies as they are today;

0:06:09.230,0:06:10.860
people who honor our strength

0:06:10.860,0:06:15.290
and work with not against[br]our perceived limitations;

0:06:15.470,0:06:19.660
people who value health[br]as something much more holistic

0:06:19.660,0:06:22.720
than a number on an outdated BMI chart.

0:06:22.720,0:06:28.680
Instead, we value mental health,[br]self-worth, and how we feel in our bodies

0:06:28.680,0:06:32.330
as vital aspects[br]to our overall well-being;

0:06:33.190,0:06:34.650
people who refuse to believe

0:06:34.650,0:06:40.220
that living in these fat bodies[br]is a barrier to anything, really.

0:06:41.050,0:06:46.510
There are doctors, academics, and bloggers[br]who have written countless volumes

0:06:46.510,0:06:49.690
on the many facets[br]of this complex subject.

0:06:50.380,0:06:55.250
There are "fatshionistas" who reclaimed[br]their bodies and their beauty

0:06:55.250,0:06:58.250
by wearing "fat-kinis" and crop-tops

0:06:58.250,0:07:01.780
exposing the flesh[br]that we're all taught to hide.

0:07:01.780,0:07:07.500
There are fat athletes who run marathons,[br]teach yoga, or do kickboxing,

0:07:07.500,0:07:11.850
all done with the middle finger[br]firmly held up to the status quo.

0:07:11.880,0:07:13.250
(Laughter)

0:07:13.280,0:07:14.810
These people have taught me

0:07:14.810,0:07:20.650
that radical body politics is the antidote[br]to our body-shaming culture.

0:07:21.330,0:07:24.070
But to be clear, I'm not saying

0:07:24.070,0:07:28.160
that people shouldn't change their bodies[br]if that's what they want to do.

0:07:28.190,0:07:31.030
Reclaiming yourself can be[br]one of the most gorgeous acts

0:07:31.030,0:07:35.250
of self-love and can look[br]like a million different things:

0:07:35.570,0:07:40.200
from hairstyles, to tattoos,[br]to body contouring, to hormones,

0:07:40.200,0:07:42.530
to surgery, and yes, even weight loss.

0:07:42.940,0:07:44.000
It's simple:

0:07:44.000,0:07:47.990
it's your body, and you decide[br]what's best to do with it.

0:07:48.410,0:07:52.530
My way of engaging in activism[br]is by doing all the things

0:07:52.530,0:07:55.780
that we fatties aren't supposed to do,[br]and there's a lot of them;

0:07:56.000,0:08:00.150
inviting other people to join me[br]and then making art about it.

0:08:00.770,0:08:02.910
The common thread[br]through most of this work

0:08:02.910,0:08:04.330
has been reclaiming spaces

0:08:04.330,0:08:07.450
that are often prohibitive[br]to bigger bodies

0:08:07.470,0:08:10.470
from the catwalk to club shows

0:08:10.470,0:08:13.800
from public swimming pools[br]to prominent dance stages.

0:08:13.810,0:08:18.760
Reclaiming spaces en masse[br]is not only a powerful artistic statement

0:08:18.760,0:08:21.420
but a radical community building approach.

0:08:21.680,0:08:24.470
This was so true of Aquaporko

0:08:24.470,0:08:26.410
(Laughter)

0:08:26.420,0:08:30.640
the fat femme synchronized swim team[br]I started with a group of friends

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in Sydney.

0:08:31.740,0:08:32.910
(Laughter)

0:08:32.930,0:08:36.270
The impact of seeing [br]a bunch of defiant, fat women

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in flowery swimming caps and bathers

0:08:38.570,0:08:41.440
throwing their legs [br]in the air without a care

0:08:41.440,0:08:43.240
should not be underestimated.

0:08:43.240,0:08:44.830
(Laughter)

0:08:45.720,0:08:51.360
Throughout my career, I have learned[br]that fat bodies are inherently political,

0:08:51.360,0:08:56.780
and unapologetic fat bodies[br]can blow people's minds.

0:08:57.640,0:09:00.050
When director Kate Champion

0:09:00.050,0:09:03.050
of acclaimed dance theater company[br]Force Majeure

0:09:03.050,0:09:08.390
asked me to be the artistic associate[br]on a work featuring all fat dancers,

0:09:08.830,0:09:12.270
I literally jumped at the opportunity.

0:09:13.095,0:09:14.435
And I mean, literally.

0:09:14.435,0:09:15.560
(Laughter)

0:09:16.090,0:09:20.410
Nothing to Lose is a work made[br]in collaboration with performers of size

0:09:20.410,0:09:23.010
who drew from their lived experiences

0:09:23.010,0:09:26.680
to create a work as varied[br]and authentic as we all are.

0:09:27.450,0:09:30.690
It was as far from ballet[br]as you could imagine.

0:09:31.280,0:09:36.240
The very idea of a fat dance work[br]by such a prestigious company

0:09:36.240,0:09:39.730
was, to put it mildly, controversial

0:09:40.330,0:09:44.970
because nothing like it had ever been done[br]on mainstream dance stages before

0:09:44.970,0:09:47.470
anywhere in the world.

0:09:47.470,0:09:49.030
People were skeptical.

0:09:49.790,0:09:53.630
"What do you mean 'fat dancers'?"

0:09:53.650,0:09:57.520
"Like size-10, size-12 kind of fat?"

0:09:57.530,0:09:58.840
(Laughter)

0:09:58.840,0:10:01.260
"Where did they do their dance training?"

0:10:01.990,0:10:05.760
"Are they going to have the stamina[br]for a full-length production?"

0:10:06.860,0:10:08.780
But despite the skepticism,

0:10:08.780,0:10:12.630
Nothing to Lose became[br]a sellout hit of Sydney Festival.

0:10:12.890,0:10:16.470
We received rave reviews,[br]toured, won awards,

0:10:16.470,0:10:19.700
and were written about[br]in over 27 languages.

0:10:19.700,0:10:23.730
These incredible images[br]of our cast were seen worldwide.

0:10:25.460,0:10:30.890
I've lost count of how many times[br]people of all sizes have told me

0:10:30.890,0:10:32.880
that the show has changed their lives,

0:10:32.880,0:10:35.250
how it helped them shift[br]their relationship

0:10:35.250,0:10:37.680
to their own and other people's bodies,

0:10:37.680,0:10:40.660
and how it made them[br]confront their own bias.

0:10:41.610,0:10:42.730
But of course,

0:10:42.730,0:10:47.030
work that pushes people's buttons[br]is not without its detractors.

0:10:48.070,0:10:51.450
I have been told[br]that I'm glorifying obesity;

0:10:51.450,0:10:56.630
I have received violent death threats[br]and abuse for daring to make work

0:10:56.630,0:10:59.180
that centers fat people's [br]bodies and lives

0:10:59.180,0:11:04.490
and treats us as worthwhile human beings[br]with valuable stories to tell.

0:11:06.120,0:11:10.770
I've even been called,[br]"The ISIS of the obesity epidemic."

0:11:10.790,0:11:12.440
(Laughter)

0:11:12.440,0:11:15.030
a comment so absurd that it is funny

0:11:15.030,0:11:16.190
(Laughter)

0:11:16.190,0:11:18.870
but it also speaks to the panic,

0:11:18.870,0:11:23.130
the literal terror[br]that the fear of fat can evoke.

0:11:23.690,0:11:26.980
It is this fear that's feeding[br]the diet industry,

0:11:26.980,0:11:31.680
which is keeping so many of us[br]from making peace with their own bodies,

0:11:32.080,0:11:37.130
for waiting to be the after photo[br]before we truly start to live our lives.

0:11:37.520,0:11:41.730
Because the real elephant[br]in the room here is fatphobia.

0:11:42.520,0:11:46.630
Fat activism refuses to indulge this fear

0:11:46.630,0:11:50.440
by advocating for self-determination[br]and respect for all of us.

0:11:50.930,0:11:54.890
We can shift society's reluctance[br]to embrace diversity

0:11:54.890,0:12:00.090
and start to celebrate the myriad[br]of ways there are to have a body.

0:12:00.430,0:12:01.850
Thank you.

0:12:01.850,0:12:03.379
(Applause)