Will Anti-Fat Hate Crimes Make People Take Sizeism Seriously?
Kate Harding —While riding a nearly-empty train in the evening, Marsha Coupe was attacked by another woman who kicked and punched her repeatedly, leaving her with 40 bruises and one eye swollen shut. The reason given? Coupe took up two seats. “‘You big fat pig’ is all Marsha Coupe heard before she was kicked in the face.” So begins a BBC article exploring why fat people are so frequently and openly abused — emotionally and, yes, physically. Although the piece is extremely (and somewhat shockingly) sympathetic to fat people, one thing that contributes to fat hatred can be found before it even begins: The traditional headless fatty photo. The BBC’s is of a man’s naked, hairy torso, spilling out over his jeans, and, as headless fatty photos usually are, it is sure to evoke disgust. Further down in the article, there’s a picture of Martha Coupe’s battered face, which is unsettling and a bit grainy, but a far more accurate depiction of the article’s subject than a disembodied gut — with a t
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