Community Connections Across the Country
Image description: Collage of NAAFA Board Members and staff at 2024 events across the country; the Plus Bus Fat Brat Pool Party, Bigger Bodies Boston Pool Party, FatCon in Seattle, the Fierce Fat Flea in San Francisco, the PDX Block Party in Portland, and Impact Conference in Austin, Texas.
By Tigress Osborn, NAAFA’s Executive Director
For most of NAAFA’s history, local chapters brought fat people and friends together in fat-affirming spaces. There were also big national conventions and other annual events (who remembers the Holiday Hapnnening?) held in major cities for many years. As NAAFA’s spokesperson, I’m asked a lot about when our next annual convention will be. Our last was our 50th Anniversary Con in 2019. You can no doubt guess why there wasn’t an immediate follow-up. But when will you see NAAFA in person again?
When it comes to a national convention for hundreds of people, we are not planning for that in 2025, and beyond that remains to be seen. But we know that community connection is how fat people thrive. Unlike many organizations that went online in 2020 but have since dropped much of their virtual programming, we’re committed to continuing a robust offering of online events so more people in our community can continue to connect with us and each other regardless of their ability to travel to or be at an in-person gathering. But we also know that in-person connections are incredibly meaningful to many of you. So we’ve increased our efforts to see you where you are!
Local fat events are increasing all over the country, and we’ve got a plan to make it to as many as possible. Our board members and other volunteers have been setting up at pool parties, fashion shows, block parties, and conferences to meet and greet you, give talks and lead workshops, and give and receive big fat hugs (consensually, of course!) This year, we’ve done this in many fat community spaces, as well as at Pride events and activist gatherings where we can share our message with folks who aren’t already familiar with fat liberation.
As we work hard to build our resources and reach as many people as possible, social media and mainstream media are always important, but the one-on-one convos we get to have when we are out in the community are invaluable, for the people we’re talking to and for us, too! NAAFA is a donor-supported organization. Donations of all amounts help us with supplies, transportation, and more to get our board members and other volunteers to events. Make a donation today to help us get to even more gatherings in 2024!
Let us know where you’d like to see NAAFA next. Got a table for us at your next event? We’ll be there if we can! Need some Campaign for Size Freedom stickers for your goodie bags? We’re on it! Want to rep NAAFA in your own neighborhood? Make a date with our Volunteer Coordinator, Kristen Foos, and let’s get you started. As always, follow us on your favorite social media @naafaofficial for the most up-to-date info on where we are and where we’ll be. We can’t wait to see you again!