#isupportnaafa - Angela Livingston
Graphic shows blue bar and reads, "#isupportnaafa". Next to that is a photo of Angela Livingston, an African American womxn with short black natural hair, dark skin, and wearing a leopard dress. Below is a quote, "I love the NAAFA webinars. They are very informative, helpful, and allow me to feel a sense of connection, fat people communing with fat people. - Angela Livingston. At the bottom of the graphic is another blue bar reading, "naafa.org/give" and showing the NAAFA logo.
Content warning: descriptions of anti-fat bullying
On a personal level, I support any group that advocates for fat people like me. Starting in 1969, there was such an organization - The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance or NAAFA, a civil rights organization.
From my past, NAAFA offered resources for bigger bodies, a great convention once a year to celebrate aspects of fat life, education on fat topics, shopping for larger sizes, and a chance to meet friends who live in bigger bodies or to meet those who accept people that happen to be wider. I loved that about NAAFA. Now, as it continues, I continue to love the new things it offers. Let me explain a bit more about my relationship with NAAFA.
After all of the snide and derogatory comments about my weight and constant hurtful fat jokes that I endured from the time I was a child through my adult years with fat-hating coworkers, I was constantly seeking validation as a fat girl, then grown fat girl. Some of my detractors were family members such as aunts, uncles, and older cousins, you know, the people who are supposed to love and accept you. As a child, I was even abused by some of those family members for being fat. However, through all of those years, NAAFA was out in the world and fighting for fat people. I just didn’t know that yet.
As a child, I encountered school bullies, family bullies, church member bullies, and teacher bullies who made me feel as though I was unworthy of life. I made good grades, acted decently to others, and protected others when I could, but that was not enough to stop the physical, emotional, and spiritual bullying. I just wanted to be liked. As a youth, I had my father who loved me no matter what size I was and had caring people in my imagination (my ideal image was of someone who was fat friendly and a rabid fat defender), but I wanted more of those people in real life.
Image description provided by Angela Livingston: This picture was taken after 2003 at a NAAFA Convention. I am a dark-skinned African American with short black hair in a natural style and am wearing a dark green blouse with a pink lanyard around my neck with my name on the badge. I am smiling at the camera. I’m sitting at a table with a dark pink tablecloth working on a scrapbook with pictures and craft items scattered about.
In my twenties, I discovered NAAFA from my online searches by using the phrases, “Does anyone like fat women?” and “Does anyone love fat women?” I wanted to know if there were any people who liked, loved, and/or were attracted to fat people. I was feeling alone since all of the fat people I knew were on weight loss programs or talking about weight loss surgery Since I did not want to do those things to my body, it was uncomfortable for me to be around that. At times, those people’s self-hatred turned into nasty fat-antagonistic words toward me. I felt isolated. I wanted to love my fat body, to celebrate my larger curves. Additionally, with all of the diet talk, diet commercials, and diet ads bombarding me, I was sick of all of that antipathy floating through the ethos and polluting souls. I wanted to see if I could find someone who would not be disgusted by my fat body or any fat body. I wanted to find fat people who liked themselves and find others who appreciated wider bodies. I wanted to see if my fat body could be loved. Thus, I embarked on a journey of fat self-discovery. Finding NAAFA did that for me.
Currently I use the webinars as much as I used to use the literature in the past. I am attempting to renew my love for my fat body with cancer and other illnesses within it. Again, there are webinars that are helping me with that. I love the NAAFA webinars. They are very informative, helpful, and allow me to feel a sense of connection, fat people communing with fat people. The one webinar on fat issues and that certain current virus eased my mind. I am so immensely tired of people saying, “You're fat and that means you are most likely to die soon.” I am still alive and still fat. To the medical professionals out there, I am still “O-word” and alive. NAAFA has always helped me find my courage to love my fat body, express my appreciation for fat bodies, and to have words to stand up for fat souls around me.
I love all the programs aimed at rounder bodies, directed toward the needs of fat people, and created for the various identities of the fat community (we are a diverse community!). Also, people who are fat allies, those who have an attraction to fat people, and those who simply want to understand fat issues are able to learn about the fat community through NAAFA’s literature and online resources. That is the reason that I think NAAFA is truly needed for anyone who is able to see wonderful fat bodies of various sizes of fatness as worthy of respect and love.
Love Y’all at NAAFA!
Image description provided by Angela Livingston: This was taken in 2021 or 2022. I have short black natural hair, have dark skin, and am an African American wearing crystal teardrop earrings, and crystal band around the neck, and a leopard pattern V-neck dress, sitting on a black loveseat with a black neck pillow, and small black pillow in the background with a white wall behind the loveseat. I have a slight smile.
Author Bio: Angela Livingston describes herself as a Grown Mid Fat Girl, Dark-Skinned African American, Childhood Abuse Survivor, Cancer Survivor (since 2003)/Cancer Patient, Chronic Illness(es) Survivor & Patient, Underinsured Patient, Cis, Hetero, Daughter of Two Native Texans, Native Texan, Angelo State University Graduate, etc.
P.S. People of All Identities Deserve to be Loved
OPINION DISCLAIMER: Any views or opinions stated in the NAAFA Community Voices Blog are personal and belong solely to the blog author. They do not represent the views or opinions of NAAFA or the people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.