well duh!

So if, like me, you need a break from reading depressing news stories about how cops get away with rape,  (if she was drunk enough that cops were called to escort her home then by even just "snuggling with her in nothing but a bra" is taking advantage especially considering their power in the situation as on duty police officers.  Just another unfortunate example of how often rape goes unpunished even when women are brave enough to come forward with their stories.)  and how the house just passed a bill that could prevent med students from learning how to perform abortion procedures (if no doctors get trained to safely perform abortions none will happen right?! It won't lead to more women attempting to abort in dangerous ways or anything, and all those women who've had miscarriages will be totally good with carrying dead fetuses to term because doctors shouldn't learn how to remove fetal matter from their uterus' right? Right?! grrrrrr) then I have a piece of good news for you!  The New York Times has finally realized the obvious that not all fat people are unhealthy and not all thin people are paragons of health.  The article still claims that it is overall healthier to be thin however they do admit that, "being a normal weight was not a reliable indicator of health," which is a big step forward in understanding the not so hard to understand idea of health at any size.  Clearly this is only one tiny article, but perhaps it is a step in the right direction. 

uch, apparently it is now the policy in several south Florida ob-gyn offices not to see "overweight" women, solely on the basis of their weight (anyone over 200 or 250lbs*) without regard to their overall health at all.  (the article can be found here) I have heard countless horror stories about the poor medical attention fat folks receive, but rarely is care so blatantly refused.  Claims are constantly made in the media and from medical professionals about how obesity is dangerous to ones health, but perhaps those of us seen as "overweight" are having health problems because we are being told that we do not deserve basic procedures like pap smears.  With recent legislation trying to cut affordable providers of such basic womens health services like Planned Parenthood this kind of policy makes it even harder for fat women, even those who can afford their health insurance premiums, to receive the care they need.   

*and what the hell kind of measure of fatness is a simple weight number? It's worse than the BMI which is flawed for all sorts of reasons not least of which is that it ignores that muscle weighs more than fat, but really a simple number cut-off doesn't even allow for tall people!  I suppose if their argument for denying care was that their examining tables can only hold 200lbs this policy makes sense, but examining tables are fairly standardized and in hospitals they hold up men as well as women, and for most tall men 200lbs is fairly standard. I'm by no means a medical professional or a manufacturer of examining tables, but it seems like they must be made to hold more than that, and if they're not it's the problem of the manufacturer and not random women attempting to stay healthy by having regular gynecological exams!

It must be body confidence, self appreciation day or something.

    Ever since spending last week in Portland, OR doing pretty much nothing but lazing around petting my friends adorable cat and appreciating being in the vegan food capital of the world in the best way I know how (read: eating a ton, there was fried pie. twice.) I’ve been feeling all bloated and uncomfortable in my skin.  (true story, I had a 5 year old come up and ask me how my stomach got so big, ah the bluntness of children).  This week I’ve gotten back to my usual routine of biking 10 miles a day (for transportation), going to dance classes, pushing around a baby stroller, and eating out of my garden as opposed to out of some trucks (Portland is not only full of amazing vegan food, it is full of food carts) I’m finally starting to feel more like myself. 
    This morning I was working on a painting for a friend of mine (see below) and the figure in it turned out to sort of have my body, and I liked it. 

While painting I was listening to stuff on last.fm when this song came on, and I’ve been listening to it pretty much on repeat ever since.  It’s going right up there next to India Arie’s Video on the list of songs that I can blast as reminders that you are gorgeous and you don’t need anyone who says otherwise.  (Also on the list Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine, and Cee Low Green's Fuck You) 
    Then I watched this week’s episode of Glee (yes, I am guilty of watching it regularly) which in addition to containing the amazing line, “the only straight I am is straight up bitch,” focused on accepting yourself for your flaws, rather than in spite of them.  While Glee has all kinds of problems (and this episode is no exception) the internet is already full of critiques of the show, no need to add mine.  However the general point of it fit in well with the overall message of the day.  [Unrelated, but I thought the comparison of Emma’s OCD and many of the kids insecurities about physical attributes was interesting.  I’m not sure I liked the way it was handled, but in a society that is big on quick fixes for every “problem” we might have (crash diets, pills, and as the show mentioned, plastic surgery) people with mental illnesses are often dealt with in much the same way as those with perceived physical problems (fat), ie. ‘your willpower’s just not enough’ or ‘just take this pill and your life will be better!’ suggestions that help no one. Just something to think about.  Also, I’m voting Lauren Zizes for prom queen, because really, if this doesn’t scream prom queen I don’t know what does!]