#FatisNotaFeeling

This is the official Tumblr for Endangered Bodies' #FatisNotaFeeling campaign. Please join us in asking Facebook to remove the "ugly" and "fat" emoticons & options from their status updates, in all languages. Sign our petition here: http://change.org/fatisnotafeeling

[fiese-lotte-blog]

[endangeredbodiesnyc]

Source

[endangeredbodiesnyc]

By asking Facebook to remove the emoticons, we are not preventing individuals from saying anything they want in their status update so we do not view this as a censorship issue. Instead, our #FatisNotaFeeling petition is designed to draw attention to the ‘default’ emoticons that Facebook makes available to its billion+ users. The default words ‘fat’ & ‘ugly’ and their corresponding cartoon images align with the socially normative culture of self-criticism, especially for girls and women. We question when the words ‘fat’ & ‘ugly’ are meant as proxy for ashamed/bad/unhappy/not good enough/fearful/vulnerable, etc. We also question when these words are used as proxy for physical feelings of fullness or fluctuations in body-based sensations. Within consumer culture, these words have currency in the marketplace. Industries are ever-ready to sell us products, procedures and services in an attempt to un-do those ‘bad’ feelings while simultaneously overvaluing and idealizing ‘thin’ and ‘pretty’ as something better to strive for. These industries have a financial interest in our routine self-criticisms and making sure we do not look too deeply into these matters.   Ultimately, Endangered Bodies supports the positive reclaiming of the use of the word ‘fat’ (as many communities of size have). AND at the same time, we protest its use as an automatically negative word. Body-shaming and weight stigma are associated with lower self-esteem and disordered eating, an issue that Facebook – being a social platform – needs to take seriously. With this campaign we are trying to break with convention and hope to raise awareness around emotional and body literacy. Bringing emotional literacy to the complex way we feel about ourselves and not collapsing feelings into good and bad, worthless and valuable (particularly linked to ‘fat’ and ‘thin’) will give us much more opportunity to know and speak our hearts and minds. When people can experience and name more accurately their true bodily sensations without negative self-judgment, they are on their way to a more peaceful relationship with their bodies, no matter their size. We believe this fits in with an ED-prevention mindset.

Anne L. Wennerstrand and Endangered Bodies International  (via endangeredbodiesnyc)

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#FatIsNotAFeeling Victory! Facebook listened and removed the 'fat' emoji

Our official victory post with quotes from Facebook and the petition starters. 

[thelovelymarylambert-blog]

[profeminist]

Victory!

Mar 10, 2015 — Dear friends, We’re thrilled to announce that after more than 16,000 people — including you! — signed our change.org campaign, Facebook has responded directly to our petition and announced they will remove the ‘fat’ option from their list of emoticons. In other words, we won! You can read Facebook’s message to us and thank them for taking our concerns seriously here: http://chn.ge/1BnJkpE I’m thrilled that FB decided to remove the ‘feeling fat’ emoji. This success shows us that people together can challenge the cultural messages that are so damaging to our ability to love ourselves and live comfortably in our bodies. As someone who struggled with body image, I feel so happy that I’ve helped eliminate one form of body shaming hatred on the internet. I’m proud to have partnered with Endangered Bodies to lead this effort. Here is their official statement on the victory: "The eight chapters of the global movement Endangered Bodies are pleased to discover that Facebook has responded to our international petition and its 16K+ supporters by removing the "I feel fat" emoticon from its list of options! We extend special thanks to the thousands of people around the world who have signed our petition, showing that each and every one of your voices can be heard and has made a positive difference. We look forward to continuing a dialogue with Facebook to support their efforts in being a body-positive platform, leading the way for other social media sites to follow suit." Thank you again for standing up and using your voice to make a difference with us. If you’re proud of what we’ve done together, please share this image on Facebook and tell us why you’re glad ‘fat’ is no longer a feeling:http://on.fb.me/1MqARpk All the best, Catherine Weingarten and Endangered Bodies

WOW, THEY DID IT! Thanks to everyone who got the word out!

[fatisnotafeeling-blog]

Happy dance! Thanks everyone for all the support!!!

[profeminist]

Here’s Facebook official response to the petition.

[fatisnotafeeling-blog]

Yay! Thanks for sharing!!!

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Feeling optimistic! Will have an update on the #fatisnotafeeling campaign very soon :)

[fatisnotafeeling-blog]

Fat is not a feeling. Fat is a natural part of our bodies, no matter their weight. And all bodies deserve to be respected and cared for”

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/9/facebooks-feeling-fat-emoticon-faces-femini/#ixzz3Tzflja9z Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

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It can trivialize people's experiences, or encourage people to put out body-negative ideas and have other people validate that," she said. "Fatness isn't a feeling, it's something on the outside; it's an insult. A feeling should be something more internal.

Catherine Weingarten, http://www.delhidailynews.com/news/Fat-isnt-a-feeling--Woman-wants-Facebook-to-remove-Feeling-Fat-status-update-option-1425739285/ 

[fatisnotafeeling-blog]

Since the #fatisnotafeeling petition was launched over a week ago, there have been more than 15,000 online signatures of support from all over the world – over 15,000 voices in agreement that Facebook should remove their body-shaming “fat” and “ugly” emojis. Support for the #fatisnotafeeling campaign has been overwhelming, gaining widespread media coverage and, perhaps more importantly, fostering open discussions about body-shaming messages and how the digital age has contributed to the evolution of these harmful cultural narratives

Natalie Jovanovski, Endangered Bodies Australia http://australia.endangeredbodies.org/_fatisnotafeeling_update

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Facebook Users Petition for Removal of ‘Feeling Fat’ Emoji | The Mary Sue

More coverage of the #fatisnotafeeling campaign!

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#FatIsNotaFeeling: un hashtag contre le body shaming

More coverage of the #fatisnotafeeling campaign

Cheek passe en revue (de Web) une actu internationale.

[fatisnotafeeling-blog]

The Community Show 25/02/15

They talk about the #fatisnotafeeling campaign about 20 mins into this radio programme. Listen in and don't forget to sign the petition!!

Tune into the Community Show every Wednesday at 2.00p.m to hear all the latest in current affairs and community events around the area.

[fatisnotafeeling-blog]

More reasons to sign the #fatisnotafeeling petition!

[endangeredbodiesnyc]

Tell Facebook that YOU won’t stand for “fat” and “ugly” emoticons - sign our petition today! ‪#‎FatIsNotaFeeling‬

[fatisnotafeeling-blog]

Facebook: Remove the‘I Feel Fat’ & ‘I Feel Ugly’ status options and emoticons! Fat is not a feeling!

Fat. Ugly. Unworthy. Useless. Unhappy. Those are words we, like many teenagers, once repeated to ourselves as if it was our mantra. It took years to stop attacking ourselves verbally, and once we finally thought things might be looking up, Facebook decided to push us right back down. Facebook is embedded in our culture, and we all know it is a tool to keep track of friends and family, but also to compare yourself and your life to theirs. It’s great then, that you can offer a direct and to the point serving of how you feel when you post an update. Your aunt can know how overjoyed you are about that exam result, and your old school friend can read about how frustrated you are about the customer service in that one restaurant. But also, now you can tell your entire friends list just how much you hate yourself. ‘Fat’ and ‘ugly’ are offered as feelings in the status updates list, and we think it’s wrong. We think it promotes and supports the endless torrent of judgment and pressure to be perfect felt by young people across the world. We do enough comparing as it is, we don’t need a status update to make it even easier to feel bad about ourselves. Please join us in asking Facebook to reconsider the  “ugly” and “fat” emoticons & options from the status updates, in all languages. Ours names are Charlotte and Vicky, we are two of a group of women from around the world who have joined with Endangered Bodies to ask Facebook to remove the body-shaming ‘I Feel Fat’ status options and emoticons from all versions of Facebook. Fat is not a feeling!