Publicly Fat in Australia - Part 2

The following story was submitted by BFB member rainalee.

Continued from part 1.

Working with the Living Library you realise that everybody has prejudices. We don't believe that there is a single person on the planet that can truly say they are free of prejudice...Because making up our minds about something is our basic way of navigation through our world and daily life...[A common example] is that people who are not overweight, tend to think it must be tough...not knowing that the person may be perfectly comfortable and happy with their current size and shape. Not all overweight people are unhappy with their weight...

-- Living Library on prejudice

When I went to the information session for 'books,' my 'book title' was by far the most confronting for others and the reactions (physical) were really interesting to watch. We went around a circle and identified our 'book title' and said a little about why we chose it and why we wanted to get involved in the project.

When it got to me, some of the other books had a really strong reaction to my comments - some of them were nodding vigorously and turned around towards me, but some crossed their legs away from me, folded their arms, refused to even look at me, shook their heads, etc. I thought it was quite interesting because these people are 'living books' in a diversity/anti-discrimination project! Apparently it's ok to discriminate against fat people, in their minds.

After the first part of the session, we were to split into pairs and try out being alternatively a 'book' and a 'reader' (as a trial run). I was matched with someone who then said, "Oh, can I swap? I think I know this book," so I was just standing there. Then one (lovely) woman said "Oh, can I please be matched with Fat Person? I'm really wanting to read that book!"

She was an older woman who was quite thin, and she shared with me straight up that she had been terrified that she was fat her whole life, and had been bulimic for 20 years. She wanted to know how I got to the point of being ok in my skin, and not listening to the craziness that is the media. She also wanted to know what discrimination I had faced (I talked about doctors/getting health care, buying exercise clothes, being accosted by strangers in the street). I emphasised that I got out and about, had friends, and had a relatively normal life, and that the constraints I experience were due to general non-accommodation of body size diversity.

I think it was eye-opening for her, and I felt quite positive about it all - I was then looking forward to Thursday when I would do it for real, with members of the public!

To be continued.
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The Living Library started in Denmark as a project to fight prejudice and discrimination. If you're interested in hosting a Living Library in your town, you can find information at The Living Library website.