Conference boasts 'fat-friendly' fitness classes, speakers, a costume party and more
Temple University is set to host the first-ever Philly "FatCon" this October, a conference boasting its role as an exclusively judgment-free fat-focused event featuring "fat-friendly" fitness classes, vendors, talks with influencers, a Halloween costume party, and more.
"The Fat Sex Therapist" Sonalee Rashatwar, who uses they/he pronouns according to one of the con's Instagram posts, is slated to be the conference keynote speaker. Rashatwar commonly focuses on the "White supremacist" ideals behind "fatphobia," the "social construct" of health, "fat trauma" and the intersection of fat and gender, according to their website.
"Based in Philly, they are a superfat queer bisexual non-binary therapist and co-founder of Radical Therapy Center, specialized in treating sexual trauma, diet trauma, racial or immigrant trauma, and South Asian family abuse, while offering fat positive sexual healthcare," the post explains, adding that VIP ticket holders to the event will get the chance to meet and greet with Rashatwar.
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Another prospective speaker includes Joy Cox, author of "Fat Girls in Black Bodies," and panels discussing "fashion, social media influencing, and how to navigate fatphobia," The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Philly-based conference organizers Donnelle Jageman, Adrienne Ray, and Kenyetta Harris each own plus size shops and came together to dream up the idea for the event they hope will boost confidence and facilitate body positivity and acceptance.
"We’re not into the buzzwords because we’ve seen how it affects and impacts people — it makes people feel either included or excluded," Ray said, according to the Inquirer.
Temple University will host the Philly FatCon between October 28 and 29. ((Photo by Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images))
She said the phrase "body positivity" has become "bogged down," adding that, "What people in larger bodies need is to step away from constantly talking about body image, because that can be very triggering for folks who have disabilities, chronic illness, have been dieting on and off all their lives and developed eating disorders because of it."
The conference also hopes to bring together a community of fat people who share commonalities based on their size and to help each other navigate the "fatphobic world and society," Ray continued.
The two-day conference kicks off on October 28 at Temple’s Howard Gittis Student Center where Rashatwar and Cox and panels will lead fat-centric discussions for conference attendees.
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The FatCon hosted at Temple University aims to make attendees proud of their body image and embrace their size. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison)
Available fitness classes include yoga, sound bath (a meditative experience), "twerk-lesque" and more.
"People just want to be able to be themselves — that’s the dire need for something like Philly FatCon," Ray said, according to the Inquirer, adding, "Some people are not in love with their body every day, but this is the body that they exist in."
She invited people to attend, so they could connect with others in an understanding environment.
Fox News Digital reached out to Rashatwar's press contact and Temple University for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.
