On Aug. 9, Twitter user @yrfatfriend asked "fellow fats" to share awful dating stories using the hashtag #FatSideStories.
"Some people think that fat people deserve whatever’s coming to us," @yrfatfriend told BuzzFeed Health via email. "And that means that it’s open season on bullying, shaming, abusing and rejecting fat people."
She said that the hashtag is about "what it’s like to be on the receiving end of that."
"#FatSideStories lifts up real stories of fat people and asks, 'Is this really who we want to be? Is this the world you want to create for the fat people you know and love?'"
And the responses started pouring in. People used the hashtag to tell stories about fat-shaming in dating and relationships.
1. Like that "compliment" about how cute you are:
2. The first kiss that was a mean prank:
3. And what happens when fat and race biases meet:
4. Or when you feel pressured to perform gender in a super particular way:
And then people started telling stories about fat-shaming not just in romantic situations, but also in friendships.
5. Like when you notice that your friends practice weight bias, too:
6. Even though they try to hide it or play it off:
People used the hashtag to talk about when people are just straight up terrible.
7. Like with this impossible double bind:
8. Like when they don't get how you can like your body:
9. Like having to deal with harassment in public:
10. And dealing with it online, too:
They tweeted about being looked over and left out.
11. Like when you're excluded from supposedly inclusive communities:
12. Or when shopping with friends is almost impossible:
People also shared stories about weight bias in healthcare.
13. Like when a doctor links your mental health care to weight loss:
14. Or when they think weight loss by any means is better than no weight loss at all:
15. And when they're shocked that it's not really something you're trying to do:
People also had some things to say directly to people who shame or discriminate against them.
16. Like the special gift for anyone who thinks "fat girls" can't be pretty:
Fat girls have the best personalities because they grew up ugly #fatsidestories
17. And the appropriate way to respond to someone who says you're pretty despite your body:
Being told I'm pretty for a big girl #FatSideStories. No boo-- I'm pretty the end.
Check out the hashtag #FatSideStories to see all the stories people are continuing to share.
18.
UPDATE
This story has been updated to clarify the Twitter users that originated the hashtag and to include a comment from @yrfatfriend.