Fat Heffalump

Hi, I’m Nick. You may know me as @Nicholosophy on Twitter, from my tumblr also called Nicholosophy or even my blog over at www.nicholosophy.com. I’ve come from a far away land called Brisbane to tell you about something I’m working on. Project BrisFats.

What the heck is Project BrisFats? Well first, let me give you some background on me.

I’m a 30-something fat man. I’ve been fat all of my life and I’ve dealt with the stigma, the public humiliation, and the hurt that is dished out at fat people.

Where can I go to be in the company of fat people (and their allies) and feel safe? Where can I access resources on fat studies, fat activism, and fat stigma in society? Where can I go if I want someone to have a chat to, and feel that they understand the issues I face as a fat person? At the moment, no where.

So let’s change that.

Project BrisFats is the working title for this idea that I’ve been mulling over for a while. Think of it like any other group, but instead of being about knitting or sport or gardening, it’s about fat. Each member is connected through their lived experience of being fat, or their understanding and appreciation of the difficulties faced by fat people. A group of people who you have an affinity with, where there is a safe space to get together and share information and resources.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a library of fat zines, study materials and other information available to read whenever you want to? A collection of materials from all over the world, from activists, academics and everyone in between. A place where you can come and tell your story, and be heard and understood. It’s a place I’d love to have access to, and I hope there are others who feel the same way.

So what’s the first step? Finding other people who feel the same way and getting together and talking about it. Talk about the things that people would want from a group. Talk about how the idea can be grown from just a seed. Start small and grow.

Do you think this is interesting? Do you want to be told when the first meeting gets organised? Then drop your information into this spiffy Google Form and I’ll be in touch. Soon.