Over at Obesity Timebomb, Charlotte has republished this statement put out at the 1989 Fat Women’s conference in London:

I also like the haughty tone, it would be easy to lampoon, perhaps as humourless. But I think there is humour there, as well as anger, and the tone articulates a pride in queer fatness that is quite rare today, and completely fierce. Thanks Fat Dykes, for producing this list, and for giving me chills two decades on.

The Fat Dykes Statement

Don’t assume… I don’t like my body
Don’t assume… I think your body is better than mine
Don’t assume… you’re doing me a favour by having a relationship with me
Don’t assume… I’m your earth mother/diesel dyke
Don’t assume… I’m a failed heterosexual
Don’t assume… I’m always happy/jolly
Don’t assume… I’m not sexual
Don’t assume… I’m single
Don’t assume… I’m unfit/unhealthy
Don’t assume… I’m crazy/stupid
Don’t assume… I want to lose weight
Don’t assume… I want to talk about slimming
Don’t assume… I eat more than you do
Don’t assume… I don’t want to dance
Don’t assume… you don’t fancy me
Don’t assume… you’re not frightened of me
Don’t assume… I’m out of control
Don’t assume… you look better than me because you’re thinner
Don’t assume… your body won’t change
Don’t assume… there is a choice/that I would be thin if I could
Don’t assume… I ought to wear black, navy, brown
Don’t assume… I want to wear crimplene
Don’t assume… you’re not responsible for my fat oppression
Don’t assume… I want a Diet Coke
Don’t assume… I want chemicals instead of calories
Don’t assume… I eat all day long
Don’t assume… that where you go will be accessible to me
Don’t assume… my fat has psychological roots
Don’t assume……..

Smith, Heather (1989) ‘Creating a Politics of Appearance’ Trouble + Strife, 16, Summer, 36-41.

Over at Subtext Magazine, Charlotte has details of an art exhibition on in Liverpool right now, which sounds great:

The Rise of Women Artists’ charts the progress made by female artists from the 16th century up to the present day. The Walker was ahead of its time in collecting works by women artists, a fact that is reflected in the scope and diversity of the works on display.

There will be a rich variety of work on show, from both recent and contemporary painters and designers such as Paula Rego, Helen Chadwick, Louise Bourgeois and Alison Britton. Alongside these pieces, historic works by artists such as Angelica Kauffmann, Marianne Stokes and Laura Knight will be on display, which are drawn from the gallery’s holdings.

Paintings, works on paper, textiles, ceramics and sculpture are all featured in the exhibition, which also includes work by local artists such as The Singh Twins and sculptor Emma Rodgers.

Finally, Sarah Haskins is leaving Target Women, reports Bitch Magazine, and they link to some of her best send-ups to mark the occasion.

Photo by Cross-stitch ninja, shared on Flickr under a Creative Commons license. Shows a cross-stitch which reads “elda under din vrede”, or, translated from Swedish to English, “put a flame under your rage, sister”.