2010 Preliminary Program Schedule

program schedule | full descriptions | keynote | performance! | presenter bios

>> This year, we'll have 24/7 exclusive access to a heated outdoor pool for our own swimming throughout the weekend! Come enjoy whenever you'd like! Please note that we also have workshops and planned swim parties scheduled.

>> Unique shopping opps: bring extra cash if you want to participate in our silent auction with some kick-ass prizes. This year, we'll also have Re/Dress and Size Queen Clothing vending clothing and wares, plus community vendors will be selling their stuff onsite Saturday!

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Schedule subject to change. Descriptions below are abbreviated; please see full descriptions for more info. All meals, activities and materials are included in your registration fee, unless specified.

Friday, June 4:

9am - 9:00pm - Registration and check-in

10:00 - 11:40 - Concurrent activities:

Declaring our (Fierce Fat!) Erotic: A writing workshop

 

Making Our Money Count - (Hannah Martine)
This workshop will cover some of the basics of investing in plain language, talk about how to get your questions answered by your financial advisor, and provide handouts and web resources on financial issues. We’ll also get into where we feel powerful about our money, where we struggle, and how to get where we want to go.

 

Super Fat Caucus - (Facilitator TBD)

 

Religion at Any Size: Does God Care if You're Fat? - (Leah H.)
This interactive workshop is open to those of all religious identities and no religious identity—believers, unbelievers and disbelieves welcome. We’ll use art and discussion to ask how our ideas about the divine have been shaped by Fear of Fatness. Join us! We’ll look at and build expansive, fat/size positive theologies.

 

Allies Caucus - (Facilitated by Jonah Cohen)

11:40 - 1:00 - Lunch [not included/offsite; boxed lunches available onsite for pre-purchase only]

Over 40s Caucus - noon brown bag discussion (Facilitator TBD)

1:00 - 2:40 - Concurrent activities:

AQUAPORKO! - (Miss Kelli Jean Drinkwater)
Throw Your Legs in the Air and wave them like you JUST DONT CARE! Learn the elegant art of water dance! Learn moves like the corkscrew, the tub, the clamshell and the carcrash curve. Practice entry techniques , handstands and leg kicks. Learn to be a chubby fountain!

 

Medical Self-Advocacy - (Amanda Piasecki, Leah Strock)
Learn some simple tools and techniques to help improve your healthcare experience, share your stories, and exchange health information at this informative workshop. With decades of experience wrangling fat healthcare from both inside and outside the system, cancer survivor Amanda Piasecki and Nurse Practitioner Leah Strock will help you turn around the dreaded doctor's visit.

Cushion Pushin': An open discussion of fat sex and sexuality - (Taylor, Alicia Wilson)
A co-facilitated discussion for big folks of all genders and abilities to come together in a sex and body positive space to explore what gets them off and how.

 

Workshop Fat-cilitation in Schools - (Chelsey Lichtman)
A brainstorming session for people who do workshops in educational environments on topics related to FAT. Let's share ideas, workshop topics, questions, answers and all the rest!

 

Belly Dancing for Every/Body - (Miasia)
Middle Eastern Dance utilizes isolations of the various parts of the body from the head, neck, and shoulders to the chest, waist and hips to the thighs, knees and feet. Miasia has broken down the movements of the dance to enable each person to take advantage of their unique bodily strengths to perform movements that express their personal connection to the music.

3:00 - 4:40 - Concurrent activities:

Thriller Dance Workshop - (Sondra Solovay [Zombie Enthusiast and Workshop Mastermind], Deb Burgard [Experienced Undead Lurcher], Matilda St. John [Big Moves Bay Area's Most Necrotic Instructor])
In this fun and energizing workshop, we'll learn the classic Thriller dance and give new meaning to the term "morbid obesity." The fat zombie apocalypse is nigh!

 

Letting Go of Fear: Fat Acceptance as a Grief Process - (Jeanne Courtney)
A mix of information, discussion, and experiential exercises, this workshop is based on the presenter’s article "Size Acceptance as a Grief Process: Observations from Psychotherapy with Lesbian Feminists," and on "Love Your Body at Any Size" workshops. People of all genders are welcome to come and explore size acceptance as an ongoing process.  

 

Trans Caucus - (Facilitated by Joe)

 

Rural Radicals - (Adrienne Hill)
Being fat and queer in a small town, or in the suburbs, requires a different set of survival skills than being fat and queer in a city does. This workshop explores the ways in which rural and suburban activism differ from urban activism.  

5:00 - 6:40 - Concurrent activities:

The Time of Our Lives: Fighting Fat Panic through Fat History, Memory and Culture  - (Charlotte Cooper, Kay Hyatt)
The history of fat activism pioneered by fat dykes/lesbians, bisexual women and transgendered folks predates fat panic by at least two decades. But the current war on obesity means that many of us are disconnected from this amazing body of powerful work. During this workshop we will construct a queer and trans fat activist community timeline, and encourage workshop participants, and people at Nolose in general, to add their histories and memories to it. We will make a zine and archive the materials we produce.

Eating Our Words: Surviving in the Fat and Radical Left - (Andie Lyons)
How do we hold fast to our food politics without judging our own motives? And how the hell do we keep ourselves sane, healthy, and joyful in the midst of these difficult questions? This facilitated conversation will provide fat radicals opportunities to discuss the internal struggles faced by living in a highly politicized community that sometimes rhetorically supports fat politics while silently creating a hostile culture.

 

People of Color Caucus - (Facilitated by Tara Shuai, Miasia)

 

7:00 - 8:30 - Reception/hot appetizer bar

8:30 - 9:30 - Welcoming address

9:30pm - midnight - Crafty mix and mingle

9:30 - ? - Pool party

Saturday, June 5:

8:15 – 9:30 – Early morning activities:

AQUAPORKO! - Session 2 (See Sat. for details)

 

Finding Freedom—the Fat Anti Panic. Meditation for Finding Ease and Kindness in the Midst of it All - (Jeanne Mayer Freebody, Max Airborne)
In this meditation workshop, we'll learn to use both mindfulness  and lovingkindness meditation to discover the gifts of being present, with kindness, to whatever is happening right now. No meditation experience necessary.

 

In Her Image - (Eileen)
Spirituality is not a usual topic in the fat acceptance arena for good reason. What would happen if we transformed the traditional image of Creator as old white bearded man into something that really represented us? This workshop will be part discussion, part wild imagining and part transformational ritual.

 

Working Class Caucus - (Facilitator TBD)

 

8:30 - 10:00 - Breakfast 

10:00 - 12:00 - Keynote Panel: FAT PANIC! Speakers and discussants include Deb Burgard, Charlotte Cooper, Nomy Lamm, Naima Lowe, Galadriel Mozee, and Bianca Wilson.

12:00 - 1:00 - Lunch [not included/offsite; boxed lunches available onsite for pre-purchase only]

The Real Fat Woman Poems - A Brown Bag Reading (Elana Dykewomon), 12:15 - 12:45

 

12:30 - 4:30 - Vending event (in ballroom)

1:00 - 2:40 - Concurrent activities:

 

Fat Studies and Thin Privilege - Panel (Sondra Solovay, Esther Rothblum, Deb Burgard, Elana Dykewomon, Elena Escalera, Linda Bacon)
Hear from Fat Studies Reader authors Sondra Solovay, Esther Rothblum, Deb Burgard, Elana Dykewomon, and Elena Escalera as they talk about their essays and how they managed to inspire panic among publishers.  Health At Every Size author Linda Bacon shares a moving, personal discussion of thin privilege in the panic-laden area of nutrition.

 

MASTER OF DANCE: the Workshop! - (Tiny and Petunia)
By using their patented Karaoke of Dance™ teaching techniques, Tiny and Petunia will lead fatties of all shapes, sizes, and abilities to DANCE GLORY! We're here to shake it, however it comes out, and we'll fuck up anybody who tries to stop us.  Please join us.  Shiny outfits, high pants, no pants, and mobility aids encouraged.

 

What about the Children? Panel & Workshop - (Facilitated by Jessica Judd, Dana Rosenberg)
Discussion/workshop addressing the child-focused fat panic zeitgeist and what we as parents, educators, health care professionals, and other free-range fat folks can do to fight it. The panel will feature Marilyn Wann, Dana Rosenberg, Natalie Boero, Matilda St. John, and Jessica Judd, who will share their unique perspectives about the intersection of fat panic and how it impacts children directly and the work of raising children with healthy a self esteem and positive body image.

 

Big Papas, Hefty Mamas: Fat Desire in Butch-Femme Lives - (Sasha T. Goldberg, Jessica L. Giusti)
An intimate discussion about Butches and Femmes, Fat, Size,  and Desire. The session will begin with a brief review on how gender, size, and desire have been taught in the mainstream, and will be followed by a discussion about how we Big Papas and Hefty Mamas bend, break, and re-invent these expected trajectories to fit our own desires.

 

Disability Caucus - (Facilitated by 'becca w.)

3:00 - 4:40 - Concurrent activities:

The Politics of Who We Are - Forum (Geleni, Joe, Gina de Vries, Zoe Femmetastica)
This forum serves as an opportunity for the NOLOSE community to openly and respectfully discuss the current NOLOSE gender policy (which is open to all genders except cis gendered men—people identified at birth as male, raised as male and currently identifying as male) and to determine if it continues to make sense for the activism and world we want to bring about. What is the NOLOSE community? What are our goals for social change? What are our fears? What are our hopes for this community and for future conferences?

 

Fat Felt Dolls and Puppets - (Stefanie)
This fun, hands-on crafty workshop will focus on making fat felt representations - two or three dimensional. Make whatever kind of fabulous fat person/animal/alien/ etc. you'd like! The dolls/puppets could be used later as subjects of a performance, film, and/or photographs, if you're so inspired.

 

Bump and Grind the Panic Out! - (Laurie)
In this workshop, participants will learn classic Burlesque moves that will be taught with a sexy routine.  Its about having fun and feeling hot in our bodies!

 

Flirting with/out Fat Panic - (Jukie Sunshine)
Just like flirting, this workshop is part talk, part action!  We will discuss the dangers of the scarcity mentality and where this comes from and contextualize it in our dating lives. In smaller groups, we will practice some flirting techniques to take out into the rest of the conference and the world AT LARGE.

 

5:00 - 6:40 - Concurrent activities:

 

Fighting Friendly Fire:  How to Respond When Social Movements We Like Do Things We Don't Around Fatness - (Kathleen LeBesco, Susan Ericsson)
Why do some feminist and critical race scholars insist that the "obesity problem," which disproportionally affects women and people of color, is this week's sign of the apocalypse? Why do some disability advocates throw fat people under the bus when it comes to airline seating access issues? Why do some proponents of sustainable agriculture insist that to be fat is to be the unwitting victim of our messed-up food system? And what are the most effective ways to change the terms of these debates?

 

Singing as Social Justice - (Nomy Lamm)
The voice is a powerful tool in defending ourselves, voicing our truths, and sharing our essence of being with the world.  In this workshop we will create a non-judgmental space to explore our voices in authentic ways. 

 

D.I.Y. Workshop Space - (Available for attendees to hold their own)

6:40 - 7:30 – Break

7:30 – 9:00 - Dinner

9:30 - 12:00 – Queer Cabaret / Dance

11:00 - ? – Pool Party

Sunday, June 6:

8:15 – 9:30 – Early morning activity:

Fat Friendly Stretching and Strengthening - (Jessica Judd)
Fat-friendly stretching and strengthening in a fun, energetic, body-positive environment.

 

D.I.Y. Workshop Spaces - (Available for attendees to hold their own)

9:30 - 12:00 – Brunch and Queer Memoir! 

12:00 - 1:40 - Concurrent activities:

FAT LIP Reader's Theatre - (Nancy Thomas)
Fat Lip was a reader theater group that was active from 1981 to 1998.  This workshop will be a short reading of some of the script pieces and a chance for participants to write and read our own fat positive pieces and make our own reader's theater experience. 

 

Curves in "All the Right Places": fetish, fat and grotesque - (Jeanette Beal)
Looking at both pop culture sexualization and the fetish community, we will explore media, art and desire of fat bodies. Grotesque, carnivalesque, empowering, enamoring, participants are encouraged to bring their own bytes of the fat as a sexual object in pop and sub-culture.

 

Queer fatties with access, power, and privilege - (Sarah Doherty)
This workshop is a space to talk about how our experiences with privilege affect how we do fat and queer liberation work and broad-based community building. We'll talk about what it means to partner across communities to build an inclusive and just liberation movement--and spread the flabulousness!

 

Mixed-Size Relationship Caucus - (Facilitated by Zoe Femmetastica)

Inexpensive DIY Fat Fashion - (Alysia Angel)
A workshop outlining some tried and true methods for making clothes that "don't fit" work for a fat and fabulous wardrobe. In this class we will be taking pieces from our own wardrobe and making them fit our bodies fabulously with very little cost or experience.  

2:00 - 4:00 - Community meeting - all conference attendees' presence requested
Closing ceremonies & activities - come prepared for the finish of the silent auction