Written by Rebecca Alexander.
Art by Michael Poley.
Like so many other fat people, every time I am invited to a new restaurant (not to mention a new music venue or movie theater), I experience a wash of anxiety.
What will the seats be like? If I get there 15 minutes early, will I be able to make sure the booths are big enough before anyone notices? What if people want to sit outside? Will the chairs out there be teeny, tiny, flimsy things? (Please world, buy these outdoor chairs instead.)
To manage my anxiety, I go online. I can’t tell you how many photos of ravioli I’ve scrolled through to find out whether or not a given restaurant’s chairs have arms. But I rarely find all of the information I need.
I know I’m not alone. For years, I’ve heard fat writers and activists talk about this issue. As Roxane Gay wrote in hunger, “The bigger you are, the smaller your world becomes.”
So I asked myself, “How I can I keep fat people’s worlds from shrinking?”
The answer was AllGo. Stay tuned for what’s next.
About the Author
Rebecca Alexander is the Founder of AllGo and the author of A Kids Book About Body Image. Rebecca believes that being fat isn’t something she needs to change. She works to help others free themselves from the harmful bias that exists in our society. Her work is equal parts creativity and technology. Rebecca lives in Portland, Oregon with her Lhasa Apso, Lucy.
Follow on IG: @portlandrebecca | Follow on Twitter: @portlandrebecca