POSITION PAPER
SEXISM
The Fat Underground sees sexism as a tool of oppression which is particularly injurious
to fat people. The essence of sexism is that people may not be individuals. Sexism prescribes that people be assigned
roles according to their sex rather than by their interests, talents, abilities or preferences. It further dictates
what our bodies must look like, with varying standards for each sex, disenfranchising those who do not fit into
the mold. Fat people are prime targets in this sexist society because society's current concept of the ideal body
is very thin. Our "defiance" of the national mania for thinness is seen as willful rebellion, and as
such is a punishable "crime." Our bodies are arbitrarily designated "not sexy" and we are denied
our very sexuality. And since this is a sexist society, those denied their sex have no place - we are discriminated
against socially, we experience discrimination in jobs, medical care, clothing, etc., and at the root of this is
sexism--the body counts for all.
The Fat Underground repudiates all forms of sexism and announces to all that we are taking back our human rights.
Originally Published in 1974 by the Fat Underground,
Los Angeles, California USA
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