Enough with the fear of fat | Kelli Jean Drinkwater

Translator: Enara Caride Reviewer: Alicia Ferreiro

I'm here today to talk to you about a very powerful little word,

Estou aquí hoxe para falarlles dunha pequena e poderosa palabra,

one that people will do almost anything

unha palabra que a xente quere ver lonxe de si

to avoid becoming.

a toda custa.

Billion-dollar industries thrive

Industrias millonarias prosperan

because of the fear of it,

a causa do medo a esta palabra,

and those of us who undeniably are it

e aqueles de nós que innegablemente o somos

are left to navigate a relentless storm

quedamos relegados a navegar en implacable treboada

surrounding it.

arredor dela.

I'm not sure if any of you have noticed,

Non sei se o notarades,

but I'm fat.

pero estou gorda.

Not the lowercase, muttered-behind-my-back kind,

Non do tipo leve, do que xera murmurios,

or the seemingly harmless chubby or cuddly.

ou do aparentemente inofensivo rechoncho.

I'm not even the more sophisticated voluptuous or curvaceous kind.

Nin sequera son do sofisticado tipo voluptuoso ou con curvas.

Let's not sugarcoat it.

Non adornemos isto.

I am the capital F-A-T kind of fat.

Son G-O-R-D-A con maiúsculas.

I am the elephant in the room.

Son o gran tema tabú desta sala.

When I walked out on stage,

Cando saín ao escenario,

some of you may have been thinking,

moitos de vós seguro que pensastes,

"Aww, this is going to be hilarious,

"Oh, isto vai ser moi gracioso,

because everybody knows that fat people are funny."

porque todo o mundo sabe que a xente gorda é graciosa."

(Laughter)

(Risas)

Or you may have been thinking, "Where does she get her confidence from?"

Quizais tamén pensastes, "De onde saca esa seguridade?"

Because a confident fat woman is almost unthinkable.

Porque a idea dunha muller gorda segura de si mesma é case impensable.

The fashion-conscious members of the audience

Os membros do público que estean ao día en moda

may have been thinking how fabulous I look

poderían pensar o fabulosa que estou

in this Beth Ditto dress --

neste vestido de Beth Ditto

(Cheers)

(Aclamacións)

thank you very much.

Moitas grazas.

Whereas some of you might have thought,

Mentres que algúns poderían pensar,

"Hmm, black would have been so much more slimming."

"Mmm, a cor negra estiliza máis".

(Laughter)

(Risas)

You may have wondered, consciously or not,

De seguro tamén pensastes, conscientemente ou non,

if I have diabetes, or a partner,

se teño diabetes, ou parella,

or if I eat carbs after 7pm.

ou se tomo carbohidratos pasadas as sete da tarde.

(Laughter)

(Risas)

You may have worried that you ate carbs after 7pm last night,

Quizais vos preocupastes por onte tomardes carbohidratos pasadas as 7 da tarde

and that you really should renew your gym membership.

e porque deberiades renovar o abono do ximnasio.

These judgments are insidious.

Eses xuízos son daniños.

They can be directed at individuals and groups,

Poden dirixirse a individuos e a grupos,

and they can also be directed at ourselves.

e tamén poden dirixirse contra nós mesmos.

And this way of thinking is known as fatphobia.

E este xeito de pensar coñécese como gordofobia.

Like any form of systematic oppression,

Coma calquera outra forma de opresión sistemática,

fatphobia is deeply rooted in complex structures

a gordofobia está fondamente enraizada en estruturas complexas

like capitalism, patriarchy and racism,

como o capitalismo, o patriarcado ou o racismo,

and that can make it really difficult to see,

e iso pode facer difícil o identificala,

let alone challenge.

por non dicir que é un reto.

We live in a culture

Vivimos nunha cultura

where being fat is seen as being a bad person --

onde o ser gordo se identifica con ser unha mala persoa

lazy, greedy, unhealthy, irresponsible

preguiceira, agarrada, con mala saúde, irresponsable

and morally suspect.

e de dubidosa moral.

And we tend to see thinness

E tendemos a ver a delgadeza

as being universally good --

como algo xeralmente bo,

responsible, successful,

responsable, exitoso,

and in control of our appetites, bodies and lives.

e co apetito, corpo e vidas baixo control.

We see these ideas again and again

Vemos estas ideas unha e outra vez

in the media, in public health policy,

nos medios de comunicación, nas políticas de saúde pública,

doctors' offices,

nas consultas médicas,

in everyday conversations

nas conversas do día a día

and in our own attitudes.

e mesmo nas nosas actitudes.

We may even blame fat people themselves

Ás veces incluso culpamos á xente gorda

for the discrimination they face

pola discriminación que sofren

because, after all, if we don't like it, we should just lose weight.

porque, ao remate, se non nos gusta, tan só deberiamos perder peso.

Easy.

Sinxelo.

This antifat bias has become so integral, so ingrained

Esta tendencia antigordura volveuse tan integral e arraigada

to how we value ourselves and each other

con respecto a como nos valoramos a nós e aos demais

that we rarely question why we have such contempt for people of size

que raramente nos cuestionamos a causa deste desprezo pola xente con sobrepeso

and where that disdain comes from.

e de onde procede este desdén.

But we must question it,

Mais deberiamos cuestionalo,

because the enormous value we place on how we look

porque o enorme valor que lle damos á aparencia

affects every one of us.

aféctanos a cada un de nós.

And do we really want to live in a society

E queremos vivir realmente nunha sociedade

where people are denied their basic humanity

onde se lle nega á xente a súa humanidade básica

if they don't subscribe to some arbitrary form of acceptable?

se non se axeita a unha forma arbitraria do aceptable?

So when I was six years old,

Cando tiña seis anos,

my sister used to teach ballet to a bunch of little girls in our garage.

miña irmá dáballes clases de ballet a un grupo de nenas no noso garaxe.

I was about a foot taller and a foot wider than most of the group.

Eu era uns 30 cm máis alta e ancha ca a maioría.

When it came to doing our first performance,

Cando fixemos a nosa primeira actuación,

I was so excited about wearing a pretty pink tutu.

eu estaba moi emocionada por vestir un fermoso tutú rosa.

I was going to sparkle.

Ía brillar.

As the other girls slipped easily into their Lycra and tulle creations,

Mentres que o resto de nenas entraban facilmente nos seus traxes de licra e tul,

not one of the tutus was big enough to fit me.

ningún dos tutús era abondo grande para que me servira.

I was determined not to be excluded from the performance,

Estaba decidida a que non me excluísen da actuación,

so I turned to my mother

así que me virei cara a miña nai

and loud enough for everyone to hear

e díxenlle alto abondo para que todos escoitasen

said, "Mom, I don't need a tutu.

"Mamá, non preciso tutú (soa como 'twotwo' [dous-dous])

I need a fourfour."

preciso un 'fourfour' (en inglés catro-catro)"

(Laughter)

(Risas)

Thanks, Mom.

Grazas, mamá.

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

And although I didn't recognize it at the time,

Aínda que non me decatei nese momento,

claiming space for myself in that glorious fourfour

reclamar o meu espazo nese glorioso 'fourfour'

was the first step towards becoming a radical fat activist.

foi o primeiro paso para converterme nunha activista radical da gordura.

Now, I'm not saying that this whole body-love thing

Ollo, non digo que toda esta cuestión de amor ao corpo

has been an easy skip along a glittering path of self-acceptance

fora un paso sinxelo ao longo dun brillante camiño de autoaceptación

since that day in class.

dende aquel día na clase.

Far from it.

Nada diso.

I soon learned that living outside what the mainstream considers normal

Axiña aprendín que vivir fóra do que se adoita considerar normal

can be a frustrating and isolating place.

pode resultar frustrante e solitario.

I've spent the last 20 years unpacking and deprogramming these messages,

Pasei os últimos 20 anos desfacendo e desprogramando esas mensaxes,

and it's been quite the roller coaster.

e foi algo así coma unha montaña rusa.

I've been openly laughed at, abused from passing cars

Ríronseme na cara, insultáronme desde coches que pasaban

and been told that I'm delusional.

e chamáronme tola.

I also receive smiles from strangers

Tamén recibo sorrisos de estraños

who recognize what it takes to walk down the street

que recoñecen o que se precisa para andar pola rúa

with a spring in your step and your head held high.

con confianza no andar e a cabeza alta.

(Cheer)

(Aclamacións)

Thanks.

Grazas.

And through it all, that fierce little six-year-old has stayed with me,

E a través de todo iso, aquela forte nena de seis anos ficou comigo,

and she has helped me stand before you today

e axudoume a me presentar ante vós hoxe

as an unapologetic fat person,

como unha muller gorda sen complexos,

a person that simply refuses to subscribe

unha persoa que simplemente se negou a ser unha subordinada

to the dominant narrative

da narrativa dominante

about how I should move through the world in this body of mine.

acerca de como debo moverme polo mundo co meu corpo.

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

And I'm not alone.

E non estou soa.

I am part of an international community of people

Son parte dunha comunidade internacional de persoas

who choose to, rather than passively accepting

que escolleron, no canto de aceptar con pasividade

that our bodies are and probably always will be big,

que os nosos corpos son e probablemente serán sempre grandes,

we actively choose to flourish in these bodies as they are today.

que escollemos activamente florecer nestes corpos tal e como son hoxe.

People who honor our strength and work with, not against,

Persoas que respectan a nosa fortaleza e traballan con, e non contra,

our perceived limitations,

as nosas limitacións percibidas,

people who value health

persoas que valoran a saúde

as something much more holistic

como algo máis global

than a number on an outdated BMI chart.

ca unha cifra nun anticuada táboa de índice de masa corporal.

Instead, we value mental health, self-worth and how we feel in our bodies

No canto, valoramos a autoestima, a saúde mental, e como nos sentimos no noso corpo

as vital aspects to our overall well-being.

como aspectos vitais do noso benestar xeral.

People who refuse to believe that living in these fat bodies

Persoas que se negan a crer que vivir nestes corpos

is a barrier to anything, really.

sexa, realmente, unha barreira para nada.

There are doctors, academics and bloggers

Existen doutores, estudosos e blogueiros

who have written countless volumes

que escribiron incontables libros

on the many facets of this complex subject.

sobre as moitas facetas deste complexo tema.

There are fatshionistas who reclaim their bodies and their beauty

Hai seguidoras da moda que recuperaron os seus corpos e beleza

by wearing fatkinis and crop tops,

vestindo bikinis de tallas grandes e tops curtos,

exposing the flesh that we're all taught to hide.

amosando a carne que lles ensinaran a agochar.

There are fat athletes

Hai atletas gordas

who run marathons, teach yoga or do kickboxing,

que corren maratóns, ensinan ioga ou practican kickboxing,

all done with a middle finger firmly held up to the status quo.

e fano co dedo maior alzado con forza contra o statu quo.

And these people have taught me that radical body politics

Todas elas ensináronme que a política radical no que a corpos respecta

is the antidote to our body-shaming culture.

é o antídoto para esta cultura do odio ao corpo.

But to be clear, I'm not saying that people shouldn't change their bodies

Unha aclaración: non digo que a xente non deba cambiar os seus corpos

if that's what they want to do.

se é o que quere facer.

Reclaiming yourself can be one of the most gorgeous acts of self-love

Recuperarse a si mesmo pode ser un dos máis fermosos actos de amor a un propio

and can look like a million different things,

e pode materializarse nun millón de cousas distintas,

from hairstyles to tattoos to body contouring

desde peiteados ata tatuaxes, modelado corporal,

to hormones to surgery and yes, even weight loss.

hormonas, cirurxía e si, incluso perder peso.

It's simple: it's your body,

Así de sinxelo: é o teu corpo,

and you decide what's best to do with it.

e ti decides o que é mellor para el.

My way of engaging in activism

O meu xeito de participar no activismo

is by doing all the things that we fatties aren't supposed to do,

é facer todo iso que non se espera que fagamos os gordiños

and there's a lot of them,

e hai unha chea de cousas,

inviting other people to join me and then making art about it.

e invitar a outra xente a unirse a min e facer arte sobre iso.

The common thread through most of this work

O fío que une a maior parte deste traballo

has been reclaiming spaces that are often prohibitive to bigger bodies,

foi recuperar os espazos que normalmente lles están prohibidos aos corpos grandes,

from the catwalk to club shows,

desde pasarelas ata espectáculos en clubs,

from public swimming pools to prominent dance stages.

desde piscinas públicas a pistas de baile.

And reclaiming spaces en masse is not only a powerful artistic statement

E esta recuperación en masa non é só unha poderosa declaración artística

but a radical community-building approach.

senón un enfoque radical na construción dunha comunidade.

This was so true of "AQUAPORKO!" --

Isto foi así en "AQUAPORKO!"

(Laughter)

(Risas)

the fat fem synchronized swim team

o equipo de natación sincronizada de gordas

I started with a group of friends in Sydney.

que creei cun grupo de amigas en Sydney.

The impact of seeing a bunch of defiant fat women

O impacto de ver un grupo de gordas atrevidas

in flowery swimming caps and bathers

con floridos gorros e traxes de baño

throwing their legs in the air without a care

erguendo as súas pernas no aire sen preocupación ningunha

should not be underestimated.

non debería subestimarse.

(Laughter)

(Risas)

Throughout my career, I have learned that fat bodies are inherently political,

Ao longo da miña carreira, aprendín que os corpos gordos son por natureza políticos,

and unapologetic fat bodies

e que os corpos gordos sen complexos

can blow people's minds.

poden sorprender ás persoas.

When director Kate Champion,

Cando a directora Kate Champion,

of acclaimed dance theater company Force Majeure,

da aclamada compañía teatral Force Majeure,

asked me to be the artistic associate

me pediu que fose a súa socia artística

on a work featuring all fat dancers,

nunha obra en que todos os bailaríns estaban gordos

I literally jumped at the opportunity.

literalmente saltei sobre a ocasión.

And I mean literally.

E digo "literalmente".

"Nothing to Lose" is a work made in collaboration with performers of size

"Nada que perder" é unha obra en que colaboran bailaríns con sobrepeso,

who drew from their lived experiences

que a partir das súas experiencias

to create a work as varied and authentic as we all are.

crearon unha obra tan variada e auténtica como o somos nós.

And it was as far from ballet as you could imagine.

E estaba o máis lonxe do ballet que poidades imaxinar.

The very idea of a fat dance work by such a prestigious company

Xa a propia idea dunha obra de danza de gordos feita por unha compañía

was, to put it mildly, controversial,

tan prestixiosa era, por dicilo con suavidade, controvertida.

because nothing like it had ever been done on mainstream dance stages before

Porque nunca antes se fixera algo así en escenarios de baile convencionais

anywhere in the world.

en ningunha parte do mundo.

People were skeptical.

A xente mostrouse escéptica.

"What do you mean, 'fat dancers?'

"Que significa 'bailaríns gordos'?

Like, size 10, size 12 kind of fat?

Coma de talla 38 ou 40?

Where did they do their dance training?

Onde ensaiaron os bailes?

Are they going to have the stamina for a full-length production?"

Van ter resistencia abonda para unha produción completa?"

But despite the skepticism,

Mais a pesar do escepticismo,

"Nothing to Lose" became a sellout hit of Sydney Festival.

"Nada que perder" converteuse nun éxito de público no Festival de Sydney.

We received rave reviews, toured,

Recibimos eloxios da crítica, viaxamos,

won awards and were written about in over 27 languages.

gañamos premios e escribiron sobre nós en máis de 27 idiomas.

These incredible images of our cast were seen worldwide.

Estas sensacionais imaxes do noso elenco víronse en todo o mundo.

I've lost count of how many times people of all sizes

Perdín a conta das veces que persoas de todas as tallas

have told me that the show has changed their lives,

me dixeron que a obra lles cambiou as vidas,

how it helped them shift their relationship

ou como lles axudou a mudar a súa relación

to their own and other people's bodies,

cos seus corpos e cos corpos dos demais,

and how it made them confront their own bias.

e como lles fixo enfrontar os seus propios prexuízos.

But of course, work that pushes people's buttons

Non obstante, e como é de supoñer, unha obra de tal calado emocional

is not without its detractors.

tamén ten detractores.

I have been told that I'm glorifying obesity.

Dixéronme que estou tratando de enxalzar a obesidade.

I have received violent death threats

Recibín violentas amenazas de morte

and abuse for daring to make work that centers fat people's bodies and lives

e fun insultada por ousar facer unha obra centrada nos corpos e vidas dos gordos

and treats us as worthwhile human beings with valuable stories to tell.

e que nos tratara coma seres humanos con historias valiosas que contar.

I've even been called

Incluso chegaron a chamarme

"the ISIS of the obesity epidemic" --

"a ISIS da epidemia da obesidade"

(Laughter)

(Risas)

a comment so absurd that it is funny.

Un comentario tan absurdo que aínda resulta gracioso.

But it also speaks to the panic,

Pero que tamén fala do pánico,

the literal terror,

do terror literal,

that the fear of fat can evoke.

que o medo á gordura pode xerar.

It is this fear that's feeding the diet industry,

É precisamente este medo o que alimenta a industria dietética,

which is keeping so many of us from making peace with our own bodies,

o que nos impide a moitos de nós vivir en paz cos nosos corpos,

for waiting to be the after-photo

esperando ser a foto do "despois"

before we truly start to live our lives.

antes sequera de comezar a vivir realmente as nosas vidas.

Because the real elephant in the room here is fatphobia.

Porque o único gran tema tabú aquí é a gordofobia.

Fat activism refuses to indulge this fear.

O activismo gordo négase a aceptar este medo.

By advocating for self-determination and respect for all of us,

Ao abogar pola autodeterminación e o respecto por todos nós,

we can shift society's reluctance to embrace diversity

podemos cambiar o rexeitamento da sociedade para acoller a diversidade

and start to celebrate the myriad ways there are to have a body.

e comezar así a celebrar os mil xeitos que hai de ter un corpo.

Thank you.

Grazas.

(Applause)

(Aplausos)