arc provided by netgalley for an honest review

I think this book did a good job talking about the intersectionality between being both fat and queer as this is something that I hardly see talked about, because as stated in the book— cisgender, heterosexual, and thin is seen as the norm.

Just a bit of warning in advance, this book is filled with multiple topics and can be triggering for people so I would consider taking your time while reading this book.

TW: fatphobia, transphobia, homophobia

People come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. When you are ridiculed, you have to learn how to uplift yourself. It helps to have a tribe that you can confide in and who lifts you up as well. This anthology lifts, some parts may trigger those who struggle with their weight. Keep reading. You will find a tribe within the pages.

This anthology includes many diverse voices that have a wide range experiences being both fat and queer. What was specifically interesting was how being fat connects to queerness and gender and how that impacts the journey that these authors have taken in understanding their own identity.

Some were joyful, some were very hard to read. Mental health is another constant theme amongst these essays and it is easy to understand why. Most of all these stories were powerful and illuminating and very important.

As is often the case with anthologies, I enjoyed some stories more than others however there really is something for everyone in this book and I certainly liked a great deal more than I did not. Therefore I fully recommend.

4.5/5

As someone who has read, discussed, debated intersectionality in terms of homophobia and LGBTQIA+ rights in class or just with friends and family, one thing that always gets left out of the discussion is being fat. I’ve taken English classes and even Women’s and Gender Studies classes where I am the only person discussing fatphobia- I’ve written multiple papers and given just as many presentations- and the amount of stunned faces never surprises me. Being fat, you live with microaggressions people never pick up on. Unlearning fatphobia is almost always put on the fat person- we have to teach skinny people about these microaggressions, how they’re favorite book/movie/tv show/song/person is fatphobic; how small, seemingly innocent things- like the Fat Monica storyline from Friends or lyrics from Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls”- actually leave deep scars that fat people are just expected to deal with. How would you feel if your favorite show or band used a characteristic that you struggled with to make a joke? And millions of people laughed? This is an everyday experience for fat people.

Fat & Queer takes the intersections of fatphobia and queerness along with all the other intersectional identities one person can have- race, mental health, class, even gender- and succinctly and intimately divulges how being fat and queer are more similar than different.

Like many of the authors and poets in this anthology, I have been fat most of my life; I’ve been told that I’d look better if I lost a few pounds, or maybe I should try shape-wear; I worked at Torrid and was still bodyshamed- by a manger no less; I cried when I found a beautiful prom dress that was actually too big. Seeing similar experiences laid out bare and raw makes me ache, makes me feel seen in a way most people don’t understand. So many authors used the term “I take up too much space” and do you know how many times I have had that very same thought? The amount of effort I’ve gone through to shrink down? I wanted to cry at the fact someone else was vocalizing these things; that I wasn’t alone. Not to mention so many similar things bring fat people together, like Hairspray, Shirley Jackson and Carmen Maria Machado (who has an essay in this collection!) and tumblr, all things I’ve loved in my fat life, too.

This anthology should be required reading for everyone, readers and advocates and teachers alike. It’s illuminating and organized in such a way that there’s something for everyone to enjoy: poetry, essays, short stories. Topics range from a little bit of everything fat and queer people have to go through, from judgement to hard won acceptance, relationships with friends and family, and even sex and kinks. It’s also so refreshing because most of these writings are from people who are older- 30s, 40s, and 50s- and are still finding out about themselves, whether it be their sexuality or gender or how to enter into a relationship- for the first time in some cases- as a fat person. It teaches that there’s always room to grow and change, and not one single way to live life.

For fat and queer people, this anthology is a collection of voices and experiences we desperately need more of but for skinny and cis/straight people, it’s a learning experience that is needed to understand their role in the perpetuation of fatphobia.

Branching the sometimes forced divide between fat people and queer people, the editors of this book took special care to include a variety of voices and language to look into the hearts of the fat & queer community. Fatphobia has become an insidious and harmful part of mainstream culture, not only on a grand scale but also on a scale involving partners and family members. Even when one sense of "otherness" may be accepted, fatness is still something many people have yet to understand and allow the presence of. Fat and Queer is a new essential work for queer and straight people alike, as well as fat and thin. All people would likely benefit from reading this anthology, whether for a sense of togetherness or to understand friends, loved ones, and strangers even.

This beautiful anthology has been compiled to include a variety of voices from the queer community. Each piece included shows a glimpse into the identity of the individual and challenges the reader to experience an alternative point of view to their own. As is common with anthologies, there were some pieces that I enjoyed more than others, but I think that is a highlight of reading them, in that there is usually something for everyone included.

Through reading, I had to acknowledge my own fatphobia, and how that contributes to my own feelings of self-worth. It was an eye-opening experience, that I do appreciate. I feel connected to the queer community in a variety of ways, and have never before considered how my body image played a role in this.

Fat and Queer is an anthology written by talent from across the whole queer community.

Containing over 30 pieces of poetry and pose, this book contains a great mixture of identities and stories. As always with anthology’s, there were some stories that I enjoyed much more than others but that’s what I love about them, there is always a variety and it gives space for likeminded people to have their voices heard.

No matter if you’re queer or an ally, there will be something in this book for you.