Fat Liberation: Widening Our Circle of Social Justice

Some may be familiar with "body positivity", but fewer have encountered the history of the fat liberation movement. Rooted in the belief that people of all body sizes deserve dignity, respect, and equitable treatment, fat liberation challenges the stigma, discrimination, and systemic barriers faced by fat people in healthcare, employment, public spaces, transportation, clothing access, media representation, and everyday life.

In this service, we will explore the history and principles of fat liberation, examine how weight bias shapes our lives and institutions, how our culture views fatness as a moral failing, and consider what fat liberation justice and inclusion can look like through a Unitarian Universalist lens. Drawing from both research and personal experience, we will reflect on the ways body size intersects with other identities, belonging, and human dignity, and how our faith calls us to widen our understanding of liberation for all people.