University of Minnesota event: ‘White heteronormative society’ oppresses fat people

The University of Minnesota recently hosted an event that blamed “white heteronormative society” allegedly oppressing overweight Americans.

“Dispelling Myths: Fat, Fatphobia, and Challenging Social Stereotypes” was held May 6 at the university and sponsored by its School of Public Health and other departments. One of the guest speakers was “fat activist” Virgie Tovar.

Ms. Tovar, who appeared via Skype, told students “weight loss is not a realistic goal for most people,” in addition to blaming “white” society for creating exercise and diet “constructs,” the education watchdog Campus Reform reported Monday.

The website said at no point did Ms. Tovar discuss the health risks linked to obesity. The National Institutes of Health notes correlations between obesity and heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and a host of other ailments.

“The body you have now is the only body you will ever have,” Ms. Tovar said. She said the culture created by “white heteronormative society” contributes to discrimination regarding sexual partners, “fat shaming,” and engineering that does not take overweight bodies into consideration.

“This was a really awesome event and I’m so glad I could go for at least a little while,” attendee Hattie Hsu wrote on the event’s Facebook page on May 6. “However, the theaters seats were too small for my body and I was pretty disturbed to be hearing a lecture on the institutional oppression I face as a fat person while simultaneous directly experiencing it.”

“Let’s break down walls together!” added Ivory Taylor.

Campus Reform readers were not as impressed with the activist’s mission.

“Why do leftists seem to take everything they are insecure about and try to scold us and say we have a phobia about it?” Devin McCain wrote Monday.

“I don’t have an irrational fear of fat people. I have a rational fear of irrational people who turn their personal issues into political identities,” added Cliff Waldron.