You searched for thin privilege - Page 5 of 34 - Everyday Feminism

Make no mistake: Paid sick days are a feminist issue. And they’re one of those job benefits you don’t realize you want until you suddenly need them. The ability to take time off when you or a family member is sick impacts your health, well-being, and financial security. You shouldn’t have to choose between your paycheck and your health.

What happens when fat activism focuses on smaller fat bodies? Here’s some of the harm that’s caused when bigger bodies aren’t centered.

Person listening to music, giving a thumbs up. The words "I love hip hop!" appear next to their head.

Are you a conscious consumer or one who contributes to the erasure of the reality of Black lives? Here are some concrete steps to being the former.

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It’s great to get media representation of people outside the gender binary. But when all of it represents a narrow view of androgyny (looking like Ruby Rose), something’s missing. Here’s why it’s a problem.

“Being taken seriously meant looking the part of a well-off person.” We’re taught that wealthy people are more deserving of respect – are any of these ideas about class and “looking rich” familiar to you?

I have been reflecting a lot lately on how I can be a better ally. And as we wade our way into 2015, I suppose now is as good a time as any to consider some ways that any person who wishes to act accountably as an ally can do better in 2015. So here’s my list of 30 ways that those of us who strive to act in solidarity and allyship (most notably inclusive of myself) can be better allies.

I’ve spent a lot of time and effort removing myself from body disparagement zones and have gotten comfortable with the idea that people can look like anything and it’s all good. Until I am reminded how many people out there live in a state of perpetual self-denial, self-denigration, and self-destruction just because of their fat. It is to those fat girls and to all of us who need a refresher course in body acceptance that I offer these Ten Rules.

People over 50 are dating more and more every year – and some are still holding on to some oppressive ideas about what’s acceptable. Here are some critical dating tips to keep in mind.

Still facing skepticism about if women’s “complaints” about daily sexism are valid? We know the microaggressions, implicit biases, and street harassment you deal with aren’t just in your imagination. So here it is – a summary of a day in the life of a woman in the U.S., complete with the daily doses of sexism that can make seemingly simply tasks risky.

In our classist society, we’re so quick to blame and shame people struggling financially. So we don’t have compassionate conversations about poverty, its emotional and cultural impact, and how to survive it.

You might know about the type of non-monogamy that gets most mainstream media attention. But do you know these other relationship styles outside the status quo?

Self-care is a revolutionary act when living in a world that tells us we—especially those of us with marginalized identities—are not worthy of care, forgiveness, and gentleness. It allows us to fight back against oppression by affirming that yes, we do deserve to feel good. We are inherently worthy of care and attention, and we shouldn’t feel guilty for it.

Do you know about the movement to expand Ethnic Studies in our schools? This author’s perspective and research show why all of us should be on board.

Young person looking toward the camera in a sunny room

Have people tried to define your race, make assumptions about your identity, or call you “racially ambiguous?” Your race is yours to determine. In a society that invalidates multiracial identities, reclaiming your identity is both an act of preservation and a political act. So here are some affirmations to help you come back to your own skin, your own identity, your own self.

“Being fat could harm your health!” We come across these fat-shaming comments all the time – and this sarcastic comic reveals why fat-shamers aren’t being helpful or insightful like they think.

Person with their hand up to their ear, indicating, sarcastically, that they're listening

Skeptical about “glorifying obesity” with body positivity? Here’s why concern trolling fat people doesn’t make you a hero for anyone’s health.

“Men like something to hang onto.” These messages seem positive – but find out why they’re not as great as they seem.

Person looking unhappy

It takes a lot to overcome society’s fatphobia and love your body. When fat-shaming comments come from your own family, it can feel downright impossible. So what can you do? Follow this author’s journey through shame and guilt as her family led her to believe that being fat was something to be sorry for, and read how she stopped apologizing for her body. (Trigger Warning: Fatphobia)

In a world filled with misogyny, children are taught to diet at terrifyingly early ages and women are perpetually assessed by oppressive, fatphobic, Eurocentric, patriarchal standards of beauty (as opposed to character or skill). Liz Boltz Ranfeld vows to break the cycle of fat-shaming by loving and celebrating her daughter regardless of weight or size.

I used to dread the day when I would no longer be attractive to men. And now that I’ve become invisible to so many, it floods me with triumph, every time, that I am finally free of something that I hadn’t recognized as confining. How absurdly, deliciously, triumphantly funny it is that I ever cared. But I am older now, and I can get so much more done this way.