The Foxy Merkins (2014, dir. Madeleine Olnek)

This is super exciting for a few reasons.  A fat, gender nonconforming protagonist!  A film written, directed by, and starring queer women!  A film that passes the Bechdel Test so hard that it would fail the Bechdel Test if applied to its male characters! And perhaps the most exciting part– at least, for me, but it’s my blog […]

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Speaking With My Sisters

Yesterday I had the honor and privilege of speaking as a panelist at Digital Hollywood on a panel hosted by the Alliance for Women in Media.  It was a part of a track of women’s programming hosted by the Alliance along with Women In Film, Women Network, and Girls In Tech Los Angeles.  Throughout the […]

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The Fallacy of “If You Really Liked Yourself…”

This is sort of a “part 2,” based on a number of replies that I got from yesterday’s blog about “Hate the Fat, Love the Fatty”  Stop me if you’ve heard this one – someone is talking about, or doing activism against, the stigmatizing/bullying/shaming/oppression that they are experiencing. For our example today let’s use a random […]

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Seventh Annual Turkey Awards: Astronomical Cesarean Rates in Women of Size

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Wednesday Fa(t)shion Inspirations, 4/29/15

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Blog Stuff: Let’s Talk Photography

I mentioned on Twitter the other day that I was working on some photos, and that I would be putting up pictures that were taken with my phone and with my Nikon. I was then asked if I could tell the difference between the pictures, and which was better. Honestly? Both are awesome. I got […]

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Hate the Fat Love the Fatty?

I’ve been coming across this sentiment more and more often. It’s a play on the “hate the sin, love the sinner.” trope from Christianity. The idea being that people who don’t like part of who we are can simply, for their convenience, consider that part to be separate from us and insist that it’s fine that […]

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More Victims Dying to be Thin

I recently read about this story about student Ella Parry who died after accidentally overdosing on diet pills she bought from the Internet.  The pills were found to contain Dinitrophenal or DNP.  This highly toxic industrial chemical has been determined to be unfit for human consumption.  There is no known antidote to the toxin once […]

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Easy Vegan Banana Bread Recipe

Hi friends! I have a confession to make. I don’t know how to cook. I always say I don’t like to cook, which is true, but that’s primarily because it doesn’t exactly make sense to me. Baking though? I *LOVE* … Continue reading →

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How To Not Obsess About A Swimsuit or How You Look In It

This is one of those posts that is a Danceswithfat tradition. Enjoy!  Several years ago the amazing Golda Poretsky (of Body Love Wellness) tweeted;  “Rec’d a link to “How Not To Look Fat In A Swimsuit”. Wld ♥ to see “How Not To Obsess Abt Looking Fat In A Swimsuit & F-ing Enjoy Yourself” Golda’s wish […]

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Steven Universe: funny, feminist, and fat-positive

Steve recently introduced me to Steven Universe, a children’s TV show that has also gained a cult following among adults (and what seems to be most of Tumblr). I’ve only watched a few episodes so far, but I really like it, and I love that it’s body-positive without making a big deal about it. The […]

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Tales From Retail: Why I Stick Around

I know I tend to make y’all laugh and shake your head at my stories every week. And I bet a question sits in the back of your heads: “Why does Char even stay?” Well, for one: paycheck. Eating and having an apartment is a good thing. But that’s not the sole reason or I’d […]

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When They Say “War on Obesity” I Hear “Casualties”

Twenty-one year old Eloise Perry bought diet pills on the internet.  The pills are believed to contain dinitrophenol, also known as DNP.  The UK government had warned people about taking pills with DNP because it is very dangerous. The pills killed her. Many people are outraged because “she wasn’t even fat.”  I am outraged at the idea […]

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Sunday Links, 4/26/15

Climate and Sustainability –Loving earth is complicated, says this African-American pastor. –GoSol is crowdfunding a scalable and cost-effective solar solution. –Climate justice is intersectional feminism in action. –Peaceful Uprising’s solidarity work: the year in review. –There would be more regulation of coal mining if it didn’t just affect “hillbillies.” –Polluters Pay! Carbon majors funding loss […]

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Another Murder-Suicide

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Say Something Sunday – “You Put Yourself Out There” Edition

It’s “Say Something Sunday,” a day dedicated, at least on this blog, to personal Size Diversity activism. I’ve got some suggestions below and/or of course you can do your own thing and feel free to leave a comment about it.  If you have ideas of things to do for Say Something Sunday I’d also love […]

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What the Hell is Going on at Protein World?

Supplement company Protein World recently put this ad into wide circulation. Oh good, another advertisement meant to terrify women into believing that our bodies aren’t good enough to be seen in public without buying a bunch of products.  Another message to teen girls that the only good body is a photoshopped body. Another company trying to […]

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.Smart Glamour.. is genius!.

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Sparkly Treats

In less than a week, I will be 30. 30. Whoa. I love to splurge on myself, but such a special day deserves an extra special treat. I couldn’t figure out what I’d gift myself that would be extravagant. Do I get my first pair of designer shoes? A fancy bag? And then the lovely […]

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OOTD: Goth raver bunny

This outfit is my attempt to kill three birds with one stone: black lipstick for this month’s Alternative Curves bloghop, a review of some awesome jewelry that Kelsea Echo sent me, and wearing my favorite black tutu-esque skirt that I haven’t worn in a while. Sian recently posted a goth-tastic outfit featuring the same skirt, […]

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That Ridiculous “Outrunning Obesity” Article

An article in Mashable today called “You Can’t Outrun Obesity” begins: A team of British cardiologists have said it’s time to “bust the myth” that regular exercise tackles obesity. The strongly-worded editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, published in the May edition of the journal, says you can’t outrun a bad diet and […]

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SWAGGA: Slowly Without Angst Giant Goddess Attack

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The power of fat-shaming vs thin-shaming

There’s a reason why the tagline for my blog mentions size acceptance. While my primary focus is on fat acceptance and health at every size, I would generally recommend the same things for skinny people that I would for fat … Continue reading →

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DIY: Unraveled Dip-Dye T-shirt

Hi! I’m Aurora Lady. I created a t-shirt company that focuses on feminism, DIY, and love. Yesterday Jen, Daisy, and I shared a photo shoot that we worked on together, featuring my “Girl Gang” t-shirt. Today, I’m thrilled to share … Continue reading →

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Things You Don’t Owe Anybody

When it comes to a lot of areas of our lives we get to choose what we do and why, and who – if anyone – we do it for.  Sometimes people get confused and think that we owe them behaviors, states of being, or explanations.  Let’s just clear some of this up: Pretty – […]

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Quick hit: #WeAreTheThey responds to Jamila’s fat-shaming comments

Plus size Twitter is on fire right now, and it’s awesome. Debz of The (Not So) Secret Dairy of a Wannabe Princess started a hashtag in response to comments that a British pop musician, Jamila, recently made on a talk show called Loose Women. Jamila said that women who wear smaller than a size 6 […]

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My Girl Gang Is Magical. Is Yours?

Hey friends! So a couple of weeks ago, this magical conversation started. My rad friend Aurora Lady asked me if I would be into modeling a DIY shirt from her Feminasty series and if I would be into my super … Continue reading →

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Wednesday Fa(t)shion Inspirations, 4/22/15

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Jamelia Shows Us that Pop Stars Can Be Bigots Too

Today on the UK show Loose Women, singer/songwriter Jamelia suggested that women who are too fat or too thin should not have the same access to clothing that other women do: I do not think it’s right to facilitate people living an unhealthy lifestyle. In the same way [that] I don’t believe that a size zero should be […]

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A famous headless fatty

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Things that don’t impress me

Supposedly body-positive ad campaigns that only feature hourglass-shaped, flat-stomached, smaller plus size women. Supposedly body-positive ad campaigns that claim to represent “all shapes and sizes,” yet come from a site that carries few plus size items, many of which run far smaller than true plus sizes. (Unique Vintage has only 85 plus size items available […]

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Tuesday Reviewsday–Harriet Brown’s Body of Truth

For today’s Tuesday Reviewsday, I am pleased to discuss Harriet Brown’s recently released book “Body of Truth”.  Harriet Brown is already well known for her previous book, “Brave Girl Eating” about her experiences with her daughter who suffered from Anorexia.  “Body of Truth” uncovers Harriet’s epiphany regarding her own weight obsessed life within a society […]

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Grace

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Back Off My Big Fat Body

Everyday I hear messages from society about my fat body. I’m told that it’s a sign of moral failing, laziness, it’s a shortcoming, it’s unattractive, blah blah blah –  the negative messages are incessant and ubiquitous. I spent a lot of my life so intent on hating my body for not meeting the cultural stereotype […]

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Congress Trying to Suspend Civil Rights Protections at the Workplace

Reader Ali let me know about some dangerous legislation that is on the table right now that would nullify important worker protections on the basis of genetics and disability of workers and their families. As I’ve discussed before on this blog, the Affordable Care Act (which, full disclosure, gave me the opportunity to have insurance by insisting that […]

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Sunday Links, 4/19/15

Fa(t)shion –Quote of the day: Janelle Monae is not for male consumption. -Celeb kids wearing awesome gender-bending outfits: Jaden Smith in a dress, and Mark Ruffalo and his daughter Bella in matching suits. –I went in search of non-boring plus size activewear and this is what I found. –The folk feminist struggle behind the chola […]



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Kindergarten for Muscles

I talk about parkour a lot, and I worry that somehow people think this means that I’m actually good at it, when in fact I’m often the slowest and weakest in the class and spend a significant portion of my time feeling frustrated as I try to master new skills. However, one of the things […]



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The six types of obesity researcher

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Wednesday Fa(t)shion Inspirations, 4/15/15: Pastels and florals

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Induction's Relationship to Cesareans in High BMI Women

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Tales From Retail: Classism

Picture it, Dallas, 2008. I’ve just started my first retail job, and I’m running the registers like a boss. So far, all of my customers have been pleasant, and while I made a couple of mistakes, everything is running smoothly. While walking the floor, I run into this very pleasant lady and her daughter. The […]



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Alternative Curves: Black (ok, actually dark purple) lipstick

This month’s Alternative Curves theme is black lipstick, which is something I love. But while putting together an outfit, I realized that I couldn’t find my black lipstick, so I decided to go with dark purple instead. I’ve been meaning to get a good-quality black lipstick anyway, so if I find one within the month, […]



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How to Help a Fat-Shamed Kid

I got the following question from a reader: Do you know of any reading or articles around what can be done to help reverse or heal a fat shamed child? My niece Leila has had several bad experience with her doctor. As a fat woman, and a formerly “fat-shamed-for-my-own-good” child myself, my heart breaks for […]



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Sunday links, 4/12/15

Climate and Sustainability -An important new number: using all the fossil fuels currently available could warm the planet by 16.2 degrees F (8.8 degrees C)–which is far, far beyond humanity’s ability to adapt. –Everybody needs a Climate Thing. I’m still trying to find mine… –3 reasons to be optimistic about the fight to save the […]



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Penn Jillette

I’ve liked Penn Jillette for a while. He expresses the libertarian viewpoint better than anyone else. (I’m not a libertarian as currently conceived, but have been seduced by its philosophy in the past.) He is also an atheist and a freethinker, and his and Teller’s former show, Bullshit, was excellent at debunking pseudoscience in its […]



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A weight loss journey with a lap band can be difficult

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So, I Was Part Of A Thing…

And now I finally get to share it! So, a while back I shared these looks on my Facebook: And I told y’all that I was working on a really cool project? Well, part one of that project is done, and I’m so happy to share this with y’all! So, this project I was part […]



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Fatshion: It’s Still Cold Somewhere, Right?

Hi friends! So it’s officially spring and here I am posting a winter look. Lag-city! Really though, I love this outfit so much so even though I wore it back in like January or February, I still wanted to post … Continue reading →



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Wednesday Fa(t)shion Inspirations, 4/8/15: spring!

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When Your Labrador Puppy Is Not Actually a Labrador

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ProPlanPet #CollectiveBias Hi friends! I know you’ve met Chico before but I always love sharing my little terrier mix with all of you. … Continue reading →



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Prior Cesarean and Ectopic Pregnancy

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What You Missed at #LBNC15 !

Hi friends! So in late February, I got to attend the 5th Annual Lifestyle Bloggers National Conference in Downtown LA. I wrote about why you should attend and I’m happy to say that the conference didn’t disappoint! #LBNC15 kicked off … Continue reading →



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Tales From Retail: Naturally Brown

Picture it: Dallas, Texas, 2008. I’m applying makeup to a young client; she’s competing in a pageant and needed a test run of some of the products her mom was purchasing. She had to have been about four or five, but she knew what she did (“I love the glittery lip gloss!”) and didn’t like […]



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How Far Does Health at Every Size Go?

I got a question today from reader Nalla that is a common question that I get about Health at Every Size (HAES) Hey Ragen, your blog seems really well developed and neat! One thing I’m curious is, are your thoughts on how far the “health at every size” goes. Obviously its completely normal for someone […]



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Sunday links, 4/5/15

Fa(t)shion –First boi in: dressing queer in the corporate world. –Rebel Wilson says she’s a reluctant plus size fashion icon–and here’s why that makes sense. –Gemma Correll’s cartoons are wonderful, especially the one about trends men hate. –Inspired by art herstory: Mandy Greer. -I’m madly in love with these rose gold spiked sneakers with light […]



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Fatshion Friday: Bathing Beauties

As you read this, I’m still throwing things in a bag for vacation. Why yes, I told y’all I was prepping for this two weeks ago, and I’m still not done. Please don’t judge me! :D Anyway. In celebration of me making the move to a warmer climate for a few days, I thought I’d […]



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Give Blood for Those Who Give Life

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the HAES® Files: On Finding Clarity of Heart and Life

by Dr. Jenny Copeland I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death. ~Leonardo da Vinci~ Life often feels […]



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I’ve got some bad news for you…

In the USA, my home country, consumption of fruits and vegetables is plummeting. Consumption of red meat is soaring, as is sweetener consumption. Obesity rates keep going up. Americans are getting less and less exercise. Deaths from heart disease keep … Continue reading →



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Nail Adventures: Tropical Sparkle

Y’all, vacation is so close I can almost taste the fresh seafood that awaits me in Myrtle Beach! This also means that it will feel like time is ticking backwards because I’m so ready for it to be here, but I digress. The week before vacation is always a rough one: trying to get the […]



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Wednesday Fa(t)shion Inspirations, 4/1/15

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