Ragen Chastain

Ragen Chastain

Bio

Ragen Chastain is a professional speaker, writer, and real live fat person.  She has spoken everywhere from friend's living rooms to Google Headquarters to Cal Tech and Dartmouth.  She will not stop until we live in a world where the full diversity of body sizes is respected, and fat people are able to live in fat bodies without shame, stigma, bullying, and harrasment, regardless of why they are fat, what being fat means, and if they could (or even want to) become thin. She lives in Los Angeles with her partner Julianne and their adorable rescue dogs, and is training for her first (and hopefully only!) IRONMAN triathlon. If you can't get enough of her on Ravishly, you can check out her blog www.danceswithfat.org

Ragen Chastain Articles

Giles Coren's most recent column is full of fat-shaming

Every Justification For Giles Coren’s Fat-Shaming Debunked

Giles Coren writes a column about fatherhood for Esquire UK. His most recent column is full of fat-shaming including shaming is own son.

Read...
Aidy Bryant  by Behind The Velvet Rope TV

Aidy Bryant Puts Fat Shaming In Its Place 

Aidy Bryant’s recent interview with The Cut is so refreshing! Aidy is crystal clear that the problem isn’t fat bodies, but rather fatphobia.

Read...
In what world would a superhero's priorities be in this order?

Are You A Housework Superhero? Target Fails Again

You may be assuming that we’re going to be seeing pink, and if so, then you are partially correct. But they took that gender stereotyping and walked it right off a cliff. Instead of the logo and belt, the “bat girl” shirt has a four item to-do list.

Read...
This is the textbook definition of discrimination and fat shaming. It’s awful for the teachers involved.

Mom Refuses Fat Teacher – Then It Gets Worse

This is the textbook definition of discrimination and fat shaming. It’s awful for the teachers involved (apparently there was *gasp* more than one fat teacher at the nursery), though they also probably dodged a bullet avoiding having to deal with this woman.

Read...

Gym Gone Wild — Fatshaming Kids As A Marketing Ploy

In case there are people who need to be told this (and there shouldn’t be) fat shaming kids is never, ever ok. And it does not lead to healthier kids.

Read...
Body shaming kids is never the right thing to do. It can damage a parent's relationship with their kids in a way that sticks with that child for the rest of their lives.

#TheySaid Highlights Our Culture Of Body Shaming

People are using #TheySaid to tell their stories of experiencing body shaming. Sally Bergesen kicked things off by talking about her own memory of body shaming, and hundreds of Twitter responses echoed her story.

Read...
"I’ve heard too many of my fat friends talk about being kept out of the club by “policies” that didn’t seem to apply to thin people."

The Thin Velvet Rope

"My beautiful, kind, big-hearted daughter was denied entry to a popular club in NYC called One Oak last night because, as they put it ,'they don't like girls with love handles.' They only allow a particular type of girl into this place."

Read...
Kids fitness — by any definition — isn’t an obligation or barometer of worthiness.

Fitspo Is Not For Ten-Year-Olds​

While it's fine for child athletes to be on social media, it should be clear that what they are doing certainly isn’t necessary, or even appropriate.

Read...
If WW really wants to do something to increase health and wellness, they should just shut it down.

We All Know What WW Stands For: Why The Weight Watchers Rebrand Is BS

Weight Watchers announced on Monday that they are changing their name to WW to reflect their focus on wellness and health. This is BS.

Read...
Reporters should be able to dress, at the very least, in accordance with the dress codes of their actual employers.

Question For Paul Ryan: Should Female White House Reporters Have The Right To 'Bare Arms'?

Recently, Paul Ryan decided that “appropriate attire” for women will exclude sleeveless dresses and open-toed shoes, and pretty soon thereafter, several women reporters were refused entry to the Speaker’s Lobby for showing their arms.

Read...