Title (as given to the record by the creator):  Lip Service?
Date(s) of creation: June 1995
Creator / author / publisher:  Candida Albicans Royale, Fat Girl
Physical description: The top half of a zine page with text in black and white.
Reference #:  FG3-007-LipService
Links: [ PDF ]

Lip Service?

Hey, word about FaT GiRL is getting out. We’ve gotten brief mentions in such glossy magazines as Out, Deneuve, Girlfriends, and On Our Backs. But do you see any fat women in these publications? Ever? (When?) What about other kinds of media? 

Sure, we’re publicity whores. We’re hungry! Fat women are starving for visibility. If the pages of these magazines were any indication, you’d think the entire gay/lezzie popula­tion was skinny and white. As though fat lesbians (in ALL our variations) were some kind of rarity! 

We appreciate that these publications have made a point of mentioning our zine—and several other editors have recently complimented us on our work, as well. But I’d hate to think that by mentioning one zine catering to fat dyke inter­ests, they think they’ve done their part in representing us. (Whew, now that someone’s covering diverse fat women, we don’t have to?) 

Hey, think of this minor media attention as a foot in the door. Fat queers are more visible than ever, and in great numbers, so please use this opportunity to make yourselves visible! Some publications are possibly even eager to please a fat readership now that they see a demand for FaT GiRL, but just haven’t made the outreach. Send photos and articles about yourself or other fat dykes to magazines you’d like to see yourself in. Are you a fat athlete? Submit to Girljock! Want to be in On Our Backs? Deluge them with fat photos! Feel like The Advocate is just a skinny white boys’ club? Submit an article about fat activism in your community. 

Of course, FaT GiRL still wants, craves, and welcomes your submissions. We need you. But don’t let fat visibility end with us. After all, if we’re going to get Lip Service, it had better be good! 

—Candida for FaT GiRL