Activism and You
Capital 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. If you would like to submit an article for publication in the newsletter & online, we encourage you to do so. Please send it to capitalnaafa@cox.net

 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, whenever 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 postings on the Let's Talk forum on National NAAFA or join our DcNAAFA chat on YahooGroups.
· 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, together, maybe we can make the New Year one in which there is more acceptance for diversity!

- Ruth Silverman

Fox 5 - 2005 - Discrimination in restaurants and while shopping.  Two part report. (Cathy & Rox)

Atlantic Monthly - 2004 - Fat Life: focusing on one woman's daily life. (Cathy Grinels)

Norwegian TV - 2004 - Size Acceptance, NAAFA mission, Activism thru Socializing

German TV Pro Sieben. primetime show "Taff" - 2004 - NAAFA mission, fat acceptance viewpoint

France 5 TV "It's In" - 2004 - Fat Acceptance, NAAFA, Social activities

Salon.com - 2004 - Trend of ridiculing fat people on television, NAAFA

Fox 5 in DC - 2004 - NAAFA, Freedom Paradise, Fat vacationing, (Deb Harper)

Washington Post Magazine - 2003 - Faces of Diversity

Dickinson College - 2003 - NAAFA mission, support to fat people, fat acceptance (Deb Harper)

Children's PressLine - 2003 - Teen story, Big is Beautiful

Japanese Nippon TV - 2003 - NAAFA, American fat acceptance, Fat Socials

Washington City Paper - 2003 - Chunky but Funky: Black Women and Fat Acceptance

George Washington University - 2003 - NAAFA, Body Image and the Concept of Health (Cathy Grinels)

Japanese magazine - 2002 - American vs Japanese Fat Acceptance, NAAFA

TV4 Sweden - 2002 - NAAFA and the purpose it serves as a human rights organization fighting against discrimination of fat people.

East County Times - 2002 - Health, NAAFA, Response to "Obesity Problem".

Australian Broadcasting Corporation - 2002 - Response to "Obesity Problem"

French TV - 2002-  NAAFA, Fat Acceptance, Socials

Discovery Channel - 2001/2002 - "Big as Life" documentary

Washington Post - 2000 - NAAFA

Daily activism

Last week I was at a convention. Most of the people there were either members of boards of education of Maryland public school systems or the superintendents of Maryland boards of education.

A man named Don Zauderer gave a three-hour presentation talking about ethics and in particular the ethics of school boards. At one point he passed out a handout and one of the items on the handout was a list of groups that should not be discriminated against. I pointed out to him that the word size needed to be added to the list. He agreed with me, went back to the front of the room, and asked me to tell everybody there about the importance of not discriminating against people on the basis of their size.

So, I stood, and, addressing much of the educational leadership of the state of Maryland, talked about the importance of making sure the public school facilities accommodated both fat students and fat parents. I told the assembled educators of the need to make sure that there was a mechanism to provide adequate seating for fat people in the school auditoriums. I talked of size discrimination being the last safe form of discrimination. I told of people having the right to live a life in which they were treated with dignity and respect, regardless of the body they happen to find themselves in.

Alas, I did not have a copy of the Declaration of Fat Independence to pass out. However I do have a computer and I have the e-mail addresses of some of the people who were there.

Yours truly,

Russell Williams

Daily lawmaking activism

About 25 year ago the county added size to its nondiscrimination clause in its hiring policy.  About the same time the local school system added size to its nondiscrimination statement.  Off and on, without success, the last 25 years I've been trying to get the local city government to add size to its nondiscrimination clause.  I resolved to give a big push on that issue this summer.  ISAA supports my efforts and the local NAACP has also endorsed my efforts.  Wednesday I went down to the city government to again start the battle.  As I was asking for a copy of the job application form that the city government uses, the Director of human resources walked out of her office.  She knows me.  I explained what I was asking.  She said that a new job application form was in the hands of the city lawyers and that she would make sure that the word size was added to the new form.  I asked if she had the power to make that change on her own.  She said that she did and again assured me that the change would be made.

I can not really believe that I have won a 25 year battle by having a 10 minute conversation.  There are many things that can go wrong but there is at least a chance that I have managed to add size to the nondiscrimination clause of the hiring policies of the local city government.  I will keep people updated.

Yours truly, 

Russell Williams