Ooooooooooooooweeeee this was sooo amazing. This quote, y’all: “If your journey to freedom begins and ends with how you see yourself, then you are either a) operating from a place of privilege that allows you to feel insulated from the bulk of the actual systemic oppression that fat hate has or b) only as free as you’ve been conditioned to think is possible.” Thank you, Ijeoma, once again!
This is the quote that hit me too! I was like daaaamn. The first one I was more aware of but I didn’t even think of the second. It made me realize that I was limiting my idea of freedom to what was possible only within the current oppressive system, and being as free in my mind as possible to achieve freedom because I can’t be free in my body in this world.
I’m neurodivergent and suffer from extreme social anxiety that makes it impossible to work to live independently. I’ve chosen to live at home with my parents and it has helped my mental health a lot, but ideally I would like to have more physical freedom. But I had just given up on the idea because to do that requires money, and to get money requires working, and I can’t do that without sacrificing my mental health which would make any physical freedom pointless. But I never thought to try to change the system that requires capitalistic exploitation to have physical freedom. I guess I didn’t think I was powerful enough to do that. But maybe I am, idk, but it is something to consider.
Is it maybe a journey that progresses inch by inch, instead of all at once? Each inch is a victory that seems to be greeted with scorn (even from ourselves. What felt SO GOOD yesterday receives SCORN the next day.) It is up to US, individuals, to KEEP THAT JOURNEY GOING.
1000% this. And even before your closing remarks I too peeped the parallels between advancing "representation" in race and in body size.
Like, yes, removing Confederate statues and having the new Captain America be Black is all well and good, but having cops actually face consequences for killing us would be even better.
Loved en vogue, used to try to sing along to whole albums with friends from 7th grade choir back in the day!
(and yeah didn't think that deeply about the lyrics, must admit).
How policing our own and others' bodies has been a norm instead of enjoying them is such a missed opportunity and tragedy. And a solid example of how too easy it is to personalise what is socially constructed. Thanks for this.
Ooooooooooooooweeeee this was sooo amazing. This quote, y’all: “If your journey to freedom begins and ends with how you see yourself, then you are either a) operating from a place of privilege that allows you to feel insulated from the bulk of the actual systemic oppression that fat hate has or b) only as free as you’ve been conditioned to think is possible.” Thank you, Ijeoma, once again!
This is the quote that hit me too! I was like daaaamn. The first one I was more aware of but I didn’t even think of the second. It made me realize that I was limiting my idea of freedom to what was possible only within the current oppressive system, and being as free in my mind as possible to achieve freedom because I can’t be free in my body in this world.
I’m neurodivergent and suffer from extreme social anxiety that makes it impossible to work to live independently. I’ve chosen to live at home with my parents and it has helped my mental health a lot, but ideally I would like to have more physical freedom. But I had just given up on the idea because to do that requires money, and to get money requires working, and I can’t do that without sacrificing my mental health which would make any physical freedom pointless. But I never thought to try to change the system that requires capitalistic exploitation to have physical freedom. I guess I didn’t think I was powerful enough to do that. But maybe I am, idk, but it is something to consider.
Is it maybe a journey that progresses inch by inch, instead of all at once? Each inch is a victory that seems to be greeted with scorn (even from ourselves. What felt SO GOOD yesterday receives SCORN the next day.) It is up to US, individuals, to KEEP THAT JOURNEY GOING.
1000% this. And even before your closing remarks I too peeped the parallels between advancing "representation" in race and in body size.
Like, yes, removing Confederate statues and having the new Captain America be Black is all well and good, but having cops actually face consequences for killing us would be even better.
Thank you for always showing me how it's done.
Loved en vogue, used to try to sing along to whole albums with friends from 7th grade choir back in the day!
(and yeah didn't think that deeply about the lyrics, must admit).
How policing our own and others' bodies has been a norm instead of enjoying them is such a missed opportunity and tragedy. And a solid example of how too easy it is to personalise what is socially constructed. Thanks for this.
Love this. Insight alone is never enough!