aprili
CULTURE
.............¥ '.............
ts finally here— an entire evening for fat
girls and those who love them.
I
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F
a
t
girls,
fat
girls,
rah
rah
rah!
Smash some scales and kiss a fat girl at FatGirl Speaks
by
M a r ie F l e isc h m a n n
Austin-gone-Portland acoustic dyke duo Pirate
Jane; and Vancouver, British Columbia,
singer/songwriter Ashley Schram.
Organizers will offer workshops on both big-
girl burlesque and how to identify and cultivate
fat allies. Locals performing spoken word to
soothe the FatGirl soul include “multi-issue
social justice slut” Emi Koyama, ’zine-ster diva
Krissy Durden and Chelsea Lincoln, founding
member of the Portland-based Queen Sized
Revolution.
Bias will also perform spoken word and
music. “Our culture equates worth, or lack
thereof, with girth, or lack thereof, and those
two things are not related. I wanted a venue
where I could scream out my success at having
finally found a place of...truly enjoying and
loving and feeling at peace with myself. No
venue like that existed, so 1 decided it was time
to make one.”
Vendors at the event will offer FatGirl
T-shirts (up to size 6X) and a slew of products
ranging from skin cream and outerwear to
thigh highs and harnesses.
The sliding-scale ticket cost reflects the inclu
sive nature of the event and its organizers. Any
profit will go toward next year’s affair (yes, it’s
annual!) and a not-yet-decided organization
(vote online at www.fatgirlspeaks.com) that helps
promote the ideals embodied in the celebration.
“I hope this event will start a ball rolling for
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Come over...
Meet the family. Join us for lunch,
dinner, a cocktail, or even weekend
brunch. D ining R oom is open.
(We ll even do the dishes.)
FOR RESERVATIONS:
others and break that silence that
we keep, even with one
another, as women of size,”
states Bias. “I hope this
starts people talking,
exploring, accepting and
loving themselves for who
they are, as they are—
now.” j n
F at G irl S peaks :
A C elebration of S ize ,
S elf a n d S exuality
is 4 to 10 p.m. May 3 at
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 N .E.
Sandy Blvd. Workshops start at
4 p.m ., fashion show at 7,
performances at 8. Tickets are g
$3 -$6 sliding scale at the door |
or in advance from In Other
Words.
Want to sponsor, volunteer or
perform at FatGirl Speaks?
Visit www.fatgirlspeaks.com or
send donations to TechnoDyke
H C , P.O. Box 13782,
Portland, OR 97213-0782.
Editorial Assistant
M arie F leischm ann
is a full-time FatGirl.
From left: Canadian Ashley Schram joins Portlanders Stacy Bias ^
and Emi Koyama in celebrating size, self and sexuality
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8
BIAS ANO KOYAMA PHOTOS BY
On May 3 at Hollywood Theatre,
FatGirl Speaks: A Celebration of Size, Self
and Sexuality takes the stage. Honoring the
feminist principles of size positivity and the
promotion of natural body diversity, the event
promises to energize, empower, uplift and cele
brate women of size and their allies through
political and educational workshops, a fashion
show, spoken word, dance, performance art,
live music and fun extras (like scale-smashing
and a kissing booth).
Behind all this is a bunch of volunteers head
ed up by TechnoDyke.com editorial maven Stacy
Bias. A well-known e-commerce entrepreneur, a
published author and owner of two other hugely
successful queer-lovin’ companies— Pussy Pucker
Pots (a vegan lip balm) and DykeTees.com— she
has been active in the lesbian community locally
and nationally for more than five years and never
hesitates to create an environment that welcomes
social and personal change.
“From my vantage point, FatGirl Speaks is
about breaking the silence,” shares Bias. “It’s as
personal a venture as it is political. All my life I
have felt shut out, put down, clammed up, closed
off and either way too visible or entirely unseen.”
In addition to the immediate benefits of
attending the event, the conference program is
being published in a ’zine format guide with
both local and national resources for living
large, loud and proud.
Performers include Big Burlesque: Ms.
DeMeanor’s Fat-Bottom Revue, a Michigan-
based cabaret group; Seattle’s femme drag/bur-
lesque troupe The Queen Bees; the radical
cheerleading of the Portland Heavy Action
Team All Star Squad (or P.H.A.T.A.S.S.); the
Well, hello!
Big Burlesque
Fat-Bottom
Revue
awaits you
at FatGirl
Speaks.
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th
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Anniversary Benefit
Join ns Momlav April 21st to benefit Our House of
Portland. Open for business as usual at 5:30pm but
we w ill donate 50% of all proceeds to Our I louse
Thank you for
8 great years!
7//
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RESTAUR AN T
3 4 4 9 NE 2 4 T H AVE A T FR E M O N T • P O R T L A N D
-f 1? f i f í
2411 SE Belmont
K in d a h u n g ry
.com ^ co
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but not starving?
See our
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CD T o >
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e d am am e
503.232.4458
William's on 12th
French Cuieine
Both Open 7 Paye a week
207 5 E 12th
(5 0 3 ) 903-9220
■C
section on page 36!
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