Gribbski's Top 3 Practical Activism Tips

Hello lovely readers! As our loyal readers know and our (hopefully) new readers are about to find out, we at Gribbski's Guide post a new body activism article about twice a month. For our second month of May post, we wanted to let you know what we are doing when we aren't researching, writing, and collaborating to bring you content. Besides Gribbski's Guide, both the Bigger Blogger and the Wider Writer enact body positive activism in their everyday lives and spread the word about breaking the fat glass ceiling. Fat bodies ARE just as beautiful, valuable, and successful as all other bodies! Thus, we wanted to share with you the other types of activism practiced by the BB and the WW so that YOU can enact BoPo activism in your everyday life as well.

Gribbski's Top 3 Practical Activism Tips: 

1. TALK ABOUT IT, SHOUT ABOUT IT: This may seem incredibly obvious, but simply talking about body image issues, stereotypes, and activism really helps fuel the BoPo movement. Overcoming that silence when you hear someone you are close to make an inadvertently offensive comment about othered bodies is so important. We aren't talking about strictly academic conversations either; in fact, it is those conversations which take place on an immediate social and cultural level that often do the most to change people's minds when they are just beginning to learn about the BoPo movement. For example, the BB has been talking to close friends about her body positive journey by starting conversations around something simple like unhealthy diet talk or a discriminatory advertisement. When a friend says "God I hate X about my body" don't just nod and let it slide--challenge that self-loathing and maybe help them consider this: Do they really hate that part of their body, or were they taught to? Starting these conversations with those closest to you is so important for yourself and for anyone who cares about you. It is so empowering to share your activism with others, and when your friends and family understand your position and benefit from it, you have built a supportive community that may help spread the activism further. Don't be that person at a family gathering who doesn't self-identify as an activist; be vocal and proud of your activism as a strong part of your identity! 

2. USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO REVERSE STIGMA: Social media sites such as Facebook, tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest, and even just the internet in general are so popular and heavily used that they serve as excellent forums for spreading information. Although newspapers are available online and many sites offer online news, a large segment of internet users seem to increasingly get their news, information, and current events from shares on social media sites. We've all see those photos with incorrect statistics that people get in arguments over and the article shares that are meant to be satirical but are taken seriously. Use these social media sites to spread facts and reverse the stigma of having an othered body. Both the BB and the WW share articles, inspirational quotes, and photos on their social media websites. The BB has even created a pin board for Fat and Body Positive Activism. We have been pleasantly surprised by the people who have "liked," shared, or reposted BoPo materials via social networks. Even people who do not share or interact with BoPo posts are still being exposed to it. Seeing consistent activism on a social media site has the power to influence people's way of thinking and pique their curiosity. The BB has personally reconnected with long-lost friends through bonding over fat activism. If number 1 is all about talking about and shouting about your activism, number 2 is really the same thing, but on a cyber level. 

3. You've talked & shouted about it, spread it through the cyber world, and now you should

 WEAR YOUR ACTIVISM: See our last post for a discussion of why the body is so important as a form of communication and identity expression. For most people appearance is the first thing we notice about someone (and that most people judge about someone) so if we literally wear our activism, we can send a message without having a conversation (although hopefully it would lead to a conversation!). Here's what we mean: There's a lot of body policing concerning what women are and aren't "allowed" to wear. Think of slut shaming and the fact that women whose bodies are "too visible" in "skimpy" clothing are often looked down upon. Since fat is what we know, the BB and the WW will use some personal examples. Fat girls are stigmatized, especially in summer weather, as not being worthy or beautiful enough to wear shorts, skirts, bikinis, and sleeveless shirts. The WW has been wearing shorts in her daily wardrobe, showing off her lovely, large legs. The BB has been doing this as well, and going sleeveless with her big, fat arms out and proud. We hope that anyone with an othered body will see our clothing choices and feel empowered or inspired. At the least, we want to be role models and show othered bodies that confident versions of themselves ARE found out in the real world. We are sending a positive message with our bodies, and that message breaks the fat glass ceiling everyday when the WW teaches students in shorts and the BB walks around her neighborhood with no sleeves, living life as beautiful, confident fat women. If you don't have an othered body, there are plenty of activist fashion choices for you as well, such as ally shirts, hats, jewelry, and more with BoPo messages inscribed upon them. 

We hope that these practical tips will help you in your daily activism, and we hope you've enjoyed this peek at what we do when we aren't working on Gribbski's Guide! Remember, always be a proud activist!