body politics

As a self-identified queer plus-sized woman, issues of taking up space and 'fitting into' clothes from a limited wardrobe are things I contend with daily.

I became aware that my body creates static in establishments dedicated to amazing food. As a fat person, I’m not supposed to be there. The fat body is the body of the undeserving poor, an aggressively unwelcome reminder of the world just outside the gorgeously appointed, impeccably designed restaurant.

Given that the only requirement to be forced into handmaiden-hood is fertility, I find it quite strange that I have seen not one handmaid who looks to be the size of the average American woman; all of them conform to the normative body requirements of Hollywood.

This article originally appeared on The Militant Baker

What is this body? I wonder lately as I look in the mirror. Despite the fact that I’ve had this body shape for years now, it feels unfamiliar. I feel like it doesn’t reflect who I really am. But what body would reflect that?