Night is the only time I can feel the cool breeze on my chest, as it caresses every roll and curve.

The street lamps watch me with their flickering eyes as I stand on my balcony oblivious to their gaze.

The cars driving past are too far to see and the neighborhood is asleep.

I feel calm as I let the night air hug my body, my chest.

The the moon and the wind know no gender.

We are similar but different.

Both the universe experiencing itself,

a transmasc and the moon.

I started organizing protests, events, and community gatherings in 2020 when I was nineteen. Here are some of the things I have done:

• I organized a Black Lives Matter protest in my town that amassed over 100 people, had local news coverage, and all in a town that used to be a sundown town. Since then I have attended protests organized by others yearly.
• I organized a protest against a faculty member at the high school I went to who was racist and causing harm and discomfort to Black and Brown children.
• I founded a collective in my town that plans community events, attends city council meetings, makes helpful resources (food, education, wellness) free to our community, and more.
• The collective and I organized our town’s first-ever Pride event and celebration in 2021 which amassed over 200 people.

I have also attended panels, online events/workshops, protests, distributed resources, and just helped my community any time I could. Since 2020, the collective and I have continued to work with our city, other community members, and the school district to provide safe and inclusive spaces for our community members to learn, have access to resources, and plan community events to help bring joy and wellness. Currently and going forward, we are focusing on harm reduction and resource distribution.

Through organizing and engaging in mutual aid, I found my passion. I found ways to put action to my love for humanity, community, and collectivism. I am now 21, even though it has only been two years, I have learned so much and want to share what has been helpful.

WHAT DOES YOUR COMMUNITY NEED?

First, it is important to assess what your community needs. In order to be effective and helpful, you need to know what people need to help them survive and hopefully thrive. Do you need resources for unhoused people? Safe spaces for marginalized people? Access to inclusive education? Support for Black and Brown people? Mental health resources? Harm reduction? Whatever it may be, go out into your community, attend already established community events, talk to friends, mutuals, and other community members and see what is lacking where you are at.

For example, in my town, I noticed that we didn’t take time to celebrate marginalized people or cultures, we didn't have people or spaces to facilitate community conversation surrounding inclusivity, accessibility, and social justice, and had (and still have) many opioid overdoses in our downtown area. From these observations, I started working on how to help alleviate those issues.

WHAT DOES YOUR COMMUNITY ALREADY HAVE?

Along with knowing what your community needs, assess what it already has. Maybe your town has resources you do not know about due to whatever circumstance. Check your city’s website and explore everything it has to offer. Usually, you will be able to find how to rent community spaces, a calendar of events, policies, and more. Also, check out your city’s social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., whatever they have, do a thorough search to see if there are already people and/or groups doing, or interested in doing, what you want to do.

If you find groups, people, or events that address some of the needs mentioned before, that will serve as a great starting point. If you can’t physically attend events, check for virtual ones or online workshops. It is 2022 and we are still in a pandemic, unfortunately.

Another helpful resource to see what your city has aside from the city website is findhelp.org. Using this website, you can find financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost help in your area, anywhere in the US. It includes childcare, food, transportation, help with reducing bill costs, and more.

If you don’t find anything or don’t have a lot to work with, don’t be discouraged and don’t get overwhelmed by the potential. Choose one area to focus on at a time. If your community needs harm reduction and/or more inclusive community events, start with the harm reduction, prioritize the things that will truly care for, and help your community thrive.

WAYS TO ENGAGE IN MUTUAL AID & COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

Being able to attend protests, rallies, talks, panels, events, etc. is great, but that is not always accessible to disabled and/or neurodivergent members of our community. Not everyone has access to a computer, phone, or internet access in general. Not everyone has a car, bike, or reliable mode of transportation. Not everyone can afford a bus pass. Not everywhere you go is accessible to wheelchair or mobility aid users. I could go on but the point is, be thorough when thinking about the details of your event. Strive for accessibility, protesting isn’t the end all be all of organizing.

*An asterisk indicates something can be done online or through virtual means.

1. Cook meals — You can cook meals for many people and individually wrap them for easy distribution. A cooler or hotplate of some sort could be helpful.
2. Distribute meals — Not everyone is a cook, volunteering to help distribute meals is just as important as cooking them.
3. Give rides to people
4. Let people use your car
5. Distribute Narcan — You can receive Narcan from a harm reduction organization in your state and distribute it to community members who need it.
6. Be or amplify a speaker* — This is a great opportunity to engage with people, have discourse, and provide education for free.
7. Watch children
8. Organize a fun and inclusive event* — This could be a Pride event, a gathering at a park, or something that celebrates others.
9. Gather donations to give away*
10. Distribute donations
11. Put together care packages for the unhoused members of your community* —Stick to things that are actually useful like clothes, blankets, tents, sleeping bags, portable showers, menstrual products, water, etc.
12. Distribute care packages to the unhoused
13. Clean someone’s house or room
14. Grocery shop for someone
15. Attend city council meetings* — Local politics can be influential to your community. Attend these meetings and bring light to things that affect your community.
16. Create art*
17. Hang up and/or distribute flyers, posters, art, etc.
18. Distribute zines
19. Start a free market
20. Teach someone a skill* — In these times, gardening, carpentry, sewing, cooking, and foraging are great skills to learn.
21. Pool funds for aid distribution*

HELPFUL WEBSITES, RESOURCES, AND ORGANIZATIONS

The following are websites and/or tools that have been helpful to me, community members, and organizing. They are all free!

*An asterisk will indicate something only available in Ohio, the city will be in parentheses. Since I live in Ohio, I wanted to include some resources for my comrades here.

• Canva: This is a graphic design website where you can create graphics, presentations, flyers, and other various documents or content. I use it to make all my flyers, resize art, and use the templates when I need help creating something. It will also grant you “pro” or “full” access if you have a college email. I use mine all the time for free things and/or access to materials. Always check if a place or site offers a student discount!
• Background remover: With this site, you can remove image backgrounds automatically online for free. You can download your PNG image when it is finished. This is helpful for graphic making.
• Z-Library: The world’s largest ebook library. You can download books, articles, and/or journals for free. I use this site to download my textbooks for university as well as access theory and other academic reading for free. I did have to make an account to download the files but I have never had issues with email spam or unsolicited emails from third-party sites.
• Sprout Distro: Sprout Distro is an anarchist zine distro. They feature hundreds of zines on topics ranging from direct action to theory. Their main focus is sharing practical skills with an eye toward anarchy. I have read, used, and distributed zines from this site and have learned so much. On top of being able to access theory, they also have other zines pertaining to DIY, other skillsets, workshops, community engagement, and more.
• FindHelp: As mentioned before, this site allows you to find financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost help in your area, anywhere in the US. Sometimes people aren’t aware of the resources around them and this website will help bring some clarity.
• QR Code Generator: This site allows you to make scannable QR codes from links or other media. This can be easily posted somewhere, scanned by someone's phone camera, and can be directly linked to a resource or information.
• *Access to Excess (Dayton): They rescue wholesome food before it goes bad and then makes it available to people with little or no access to healthy options. They are helping to highlight the wastefulness and carelessness of capitalism while providing the community with access to healthy food.
• *Black & Pink (National and SW Ohio): Black & Pink National is a prison abolitionist organization dedicated to abolishing the criminal punishment system and liberating LGBTQIA2S+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS who are affected by that system through advocacy, support, and organizing.
• *Harm Reduction Ohio: Harm Reduction Ohio is a non-profit organization that supports drug policies based on science, health, compassion, and human rights. They are the largest distributor of naloxone in Ohio and you can get some sent to your home for free.
• Next Distro: Get Naloxone in locations throughout the US.

PLANNING AND PREPARATION

Once you have observed the needs of your community, what resources are already available, and have an idea for action, you can begin planning your activity, event, aid distribution, etc. If you have friends or family that are interested in helping out, get in contact with them! Having friends or family to help you is so beneficial. All of the stress doesn’t need to be on you and the more people that help, the more widespread you can get your information and aid. Your planning and prep should be thorough so you can be as effective and helpful as possible.

Community-Wide Events

In general, set a time, a place, and try to get some people to help you out so when the event comes, you can do more at one time. The time of day, weather, and other events or holidays going on are also important to think about. For community-wide events, public parks and large open areas are great. Local businesses will sometimes have spaces you can rent as well. If you don’t have any money, ask if the local business could “sponsor” the event. This means they would contribute to paying for your event.

If you are organizing an event outdoors, you can contact non-profits or groups who engage in mutual aid, harm reduction, etc., and ask if they can set something up at your event for free for the community. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people and tell them you are doing this for the betterment of the community. Local churches are a good resource to get resources from as well. Check to see if your town has a food pantry that serves the community. If they do, reach out to them to see if they can bring some resources to your event for free.

Your community event should be resourceful as well as pleasant.

Distributing Resources & Accessibility

If you are distributing something, it is best to set up in, or close to, the area that is being affected the most. You want the resources to go directly to the people that need them. A table and chairs can be useful. If you or someone you know doesn’t have one, you can rent them at stores/online, or check out Facebook marketplace to buy one for cheap to have for continued use.

Accessibility is important. If you are planning an outdoor event, are there sidewalks, shaded areas, or a bathroom? Can wheelchairs or mobility aids be used? Will there be loud music or sounds? Look into the details of your location and the surrounding area and let people know before they attend your event. Since we are living in a pandemic, making people aware of protocol recommended by scientists, encouraging or requiring masks, and enforcing social distancing is important.

Online Events

Online events can be hard to navigate. To keep that from happening, keep the details and platform simple and accessible. Use a well-known platform like Zoom or Webex. Make sure the link is easy to find or navigate. Set reminders for people and for the event in general. Check in with your speakers, or other people that will be a part of your event, as the event approaches.

DURING THE EVENT OR WHILE ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY

Arrive early for whatever you have planned. Take this time to set up, scope out your surroundings, and prepare yourself before your event starts. This can help reduce anxiety as well as catch issues before you begin. If you live in an area that is very conservative and/or home to many domestic terrorists (white supremacists), consider your safety. Work with your people to establish a security system at your event. Even if that is not an immediate threat to you, it is still helpful to think about security. Having a first-aid kit and someone (or multiple people) who knows CPR is also very helpful.

Whether you are in-person or online, whenever you are engaging with community members, remember to be gentle and kind. It sounds cheesy but it is easy and can go a long way. You never know what someone is going through especially if you are offering aid. Remember it is not your business what people do with the aid you offer, you are just providing and curating a safe space for the exchange.

Make it a point to engage with the people you meet, no matter what you are doing. Building a strong, well-connected community takes time and curation. Talk to people, see how you can help more, get feedback from the people you’re helping, and do not be afraid to get people’s contact information either. You will meet people that will want to help financially, volunteer, or provide resources.

When your event or distribution is wrapping up, make sure you clean up the area thoroughly.

TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF

It is important to remember that everyone has different limits mentally and physically. Just because you are organizing does not mean your needs come second. Do not hesitate to take time to rest. Burnout does not care what else you have going on and that is the last thing you want. If you can’t take of yourself, it is harder to take care of your community. Do not forget the responsibility you have to yourself.

FINAL THOUGHTS, NOTES, AND TIPS

Mutual aid and organizing can be overwhelming if you haven't done it before, don’t have the resources, or don’t know where to start. Focus on one area at a time, keep it simple, and get people to help you. Listen to community members in need and remember that what they do with aid is none of your business. For the people that help you along the way, keep a contact list to refer to in the future.

People might become interested in you or want to focus on you for doing great for the community, do not let this inflate your ego. You are not here to show face for helping others, you are doing what needs to be done to help people survive. Remember that this isn’t about you, it is about caring for others and building connections. If you establish a platform, use it to engage with the community, share resources, and bring attention to the systemic issues at hand.

I hope you found this helpful. While I am not perfect, I chose to organize with what I have rather than not at all. I am still young and still learning but this gives me hope. Don’t be so hard on yourself, living through a societal collapse isn’t easy.

Writing pieces like this takes time and energy, if you enjoyed this piece, found it helpful, or just want to support me, I have a tip jar in my linktree https://withkoji.com/@atheynameda or you can support me directly via Cash App $anyatassy or Venmo @ atheynameda

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Thank you!

If you are mentally ill, neurodivergent, have chronic pain, have another ailment, or are just a stoner, I will tell you how you can get your medical marijuana card in Ohio using the website https://www.veriheal.com/.

I was so nervous to initiate the process because there were so many unknowns. For example, how much was it going to cost? Do I qualify? Is it hard to get approved? Now having done it and owning a med card, I wish I would have done it sooner! It was so much easier than my anxiety made it out to be. So let’s get started! 😌💨

First, go to the Veriheal website. Once there, navigate to “select your state”. Choose Ohio and proceed to sign up and make an account.

Once your account is made, you will be taken to the patient profile dashboard. Once there, on the left-hand side will be a menu. Select “medical marijuana card” and begin filling out the “patient profile information”.

Once you fill out the patient information, you will be prompted to pay the fee for the “personalized consultation”. This will be a one-time fee on Veriheal’s end. The money pays for your appointment and approval by a doctor.

I paid $170 due to a promotion (which happens frequently, listen to the radio and check the web) but expect to pay between $170–200. While this can be a lot of money, it is a one-time investment for medical-grade marijuana for the indefinite future including dispensary pricing and sales. I was able to get 14g for $88 at my local dispensary.

Once the money is paid, you will select an appointment time that works for you to have your consultation. I was able to have my consultation and be approved the same day I made the account.

Once you have selected your appointment time, you will have a video call or receive a phone call (if there are issues with the internet) from your doctor. You will be asked what you would like to be approved for or why you are seeking to use medical marijuana. Ohio’s medical marijuana conditions include:

AIDS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Alzheimer’s disease
Cachexia
Cancer
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Crohn’s disease
Epilepsy or another seizure disorder
Fibromyalgia
Glaucoma
Hepatitis C
Huntington’s disease
Inflammatory bowel disease
Multiple sclerosis
Pain that is either chronic and severe or intractable
Parkinson’s disease
Positive status for HIV
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Sickle cell anemia
Spasticity
Spinal cord disease or injury
Terminal illness
Tourette syndrome
Traumatic brain injury
Ulcerative colitis

When in doubt, say “chronic pain”. I was approved for chronic pain and mental illness. Also, I did not have to show or send any kind of documentation about my mental illnesses or chronic pain.

Your doctor will then inform you whether you are approved or not. Once you’re approved, you will receive an email with the information on how to get a copy of your card.

In order for you to obtain your card, you will need to pay $50. This is the last fee before the card and medical marijuana status is yours! Once that fee is paid, you will be able to download a copy of your med car that you can save as a PDF or image. The QR code on it will be scanned at the dispensary.

Once you have a copy of your card, all of your information including your doctor's information will be on your Veriheal dashboard. A PDF document of your approval will be available to download for your records as well.

And with that, you are done and own a medical marijuana card. Now go get your prescription!

Like this or found it helpful? Consider sharing, following, and checking out my linktree https://withkoji.com/@atheynameda

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Poverty is a necessary by-product of capitalism. Without poverty, capitalism would not exist. In order for capitalists to maintain and hoard their wealth, they impose harmful practices on the working class and impoverished. These practices can have lethal consequences. Despite that, capitalists continue to use these practices to perpetuate poverty and in turn, increase their wealth.

In the United States of America, capitalism allows people with copious amounts of wealth, called capitalists, to control our economic and political system. How does one attain copious amounts of wealth? Through inheritance, exploitation, or both. Through harmful practices like low wages, lack of federal support for social welfare programs, and the criminalization of poverty, capitalists (business owners and politicians alike) are able to exploit the working class and poor in order to increase, and hoard, their wealth. This hoarding of wealth causes an uneven distribution of resources, enabling classes, hierarchy, and inequity. These resources include money, food, water, housing, transportation, healthcare, access to nature, and education. Poverty is an essential by-product of capitalism. People have to be in poverty for capitalists to hoard wealth, thus, poverty is essential to and perpetuated by capitalism.

POVERTY AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

When someone is in poverty, they do not have the social or material resources to live a healthy life. To reiterate, resources include money, food, water, housing, transportation, healthcare, access to nature, and education. It is important to note that Hispanics and Black people are disproportionately affected by poverty compared to their white and Asian counterparts. In 2020, the poverty rate was 11.4 percent, which was a 1% point increase from 10.5% in 2019 (U.S. Census Bureau). Numerically that’s 37.2 million people in poverty (U.S. Census Bureau). In 2020, the poverty rate for Asians was 8.1%, for whites, 8.2%, for Hispanics, 17%, but the racial group with the highest percentage was Blacks with 19.5% (U.S. Census Bureau). Here, you can see that disproportionality mentioned previously. Even though poverty reached a historic low in 2020, the disproportionality has persisted since the 1960s (Creamer, 2020). This is demonstrated in figure 1 below.

Poverty being at an all-time low should not be an accomplishment, it should be a challenge to completely eliminate it. A political and economic system that has poverty as a by-product, is not an equitable system.

When harmful practices that perpetuate poverty are imposed upon the working class and poor, the results can be life-threatening. A research team at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health (CSPH), led by Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, found that approximately 245,000 deaths in the United States in the year 2000 were attributable to low levels of education, 176,000 to racial segregation, 162,000 to low social support, 133,000 to individual-level poverty, 119,000 to income inequality, and 39,000 to area-level poverty (CSPH, 2000). Dr. Galea, the lead of the research team and Gelman Professor of Epidemiology, stated, “Social causes can be linked to death as readily as pathophysiological and behavioral causes,”(CSPH). The research team calculated that the number of deaths attributable to low education (245,000) is comparable to the number caused by heart attacks (192,898), which was the leading cause of U.S. deaths in 2000, and the number of deaths attributable to racial segregation (176,000) is comparable to the number from cerebrovascular disease (167,661), the third leading cause of death in 2000, and the number attributable to low social support (162,000) compares to deaths from lung cancer (155,521) (CSPH, 2000). Not having access to key resources is lethal.

Low Wages & Minimum Wage

One harmful practice capitalists use to perpetuate poverty is low wages. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), a full-time worker, meaning they work 40+ hours a week, needs to earn an average hourly wage of $24.90 to afford a two-bedroom rental home in the United States (NLIHC). The housing wage for that two-bedroom rental home is $17.65 higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 and $6.12 higher than the national average hourly wage of $18.78 earned by renters (NLIHC). Housing is a resource needed for healthy living. If workers can’t afford to house, they face homelessness, working multiple jobs, and that’s not on top of the mental health effects of poverty.

Federal Budget Cuts

Social welfare programs are instituted to ensure that people have access to resources. These programs, or services, can be private or public. However, we are talking about federal budget cuts here. Aside from privatized capitalists, the federal government employs capitalists in both the Democratic and Republican parties that operate at every level of the government. When social welfare programs are cut from federal budgets, either to pursue imperial conquests or to increase the wealth of their cohorts, access to resources becomes limited.

An example of how budget cuts affect social welfare can be illustrated with Donald Trump’s 2020 budget. From the analysis done by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), Trump’s 2020 budget called for cutting funding to the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, SNAP, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (CBPP). The CBPP summates this point by stating, “The budget prioritizes tax cuts while slicing basic assistance, health care, and non-defense discretionary programs”. Cutting the budget for programs that allow disadvantaged people to acquire resources safely allows capitalists to hoard their wealth and resources.

It is important to note that both Democratic and Republican parties plan, propose, and execute budget cuts to social welfare programs and/or services. It is not a one-party issue. This is an issue of capitalists versus the working class and poor. If people who have wealth, on top of vital resources, control the access others have to those resources, there is an uneven distribution. The capitalists will act in their own interest, to maintain and increase wealth, at the expense of the lives of the working class and poor.

The Criminalization Of Poverty

Since money is required to attain vital resources, those who are impoverished will sometimes break the law to make ends meet. In response to impoverished people trying to make ends meet via crime, the government creates policies to criminalize the acts committed by these individuals. It is important to note that Black and Latinx people are disproportionately incarcerated compared to their white and Asian counterparts. In 2010, Black men were incarcerated at a rate of 3,074 per 100,000 residents; Latinos were incarcerated at 1,258 per 100,000, and white men were incarcerated at 459 per 100,000 (Population Reference Bureau). Policies like this, and institutionalized racism, have led to the United States having the highest incarceration rate in the world. This is not a new thing, the United States has had the highest incarceration rate in the world since 2002 (Population Reference Bureau).

According to research conducted by Tara O’Neill Hayes, the former Director of Human Welfare Policy at the American Action Forum, and Margaret Barnhorst, “The United States is currently imprisoning roughly one million people for low-level drug offenses, property crimes, and various offenses indirectly related to their poverty” and, “Roughly half a million people are imprisoned because of their inability to pay for their release” (Hayes and Barnhorst, 2020). Not only are people, especially Black and Latinx people, impoverished but they are criminalized for trying to survive. In Hayes and Barnorst’s research, they found an estimate of 10 million people owe $50 billion in legal fees, fines, and penalties. Excessive legal punishment against the impoverished, use of cash bail and monetary penalties, and high rates of imprisonment that disproportionately affect low-income and minority populations punish people for their poverty (Hayes and Barnhorst, 2020). The criminalization of poverty contributes to its perpetuation. Capitalists create these policies and use institutions to enforce them to hoard their health and thus, perpetuate poverty.

CONCLUSION

The capitalists that control the government, use harmful practices to perpetuate poverty while maintaining and increasing their wealth. Low wages, federal budget cuts, and the criminalization of poverty are only a few examples of how poverty is perpetuated by capitalism. These practices limit the access the impoverished have to vital resources. Poverty is an essential by-product of a class-based, hierarchical, inequitable system, capitalism. Without poverty, capitalism would not exist.

NOTES

1. It is important to note that capitalism is intersectional. It is a tool of white supremacy and colonialism that perpetuates more than just poverty. These are things like racism, misogyny, homo/transphobia, anti-environmentalism, ableism, xenophobia, and more. Poverty is not the only by-product of such an invasive and atrocious system.
2. Poverty also affects mental health. It increases the risk of mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and substance addiction as well as having other cognitive effects.
3. Joe Biden’s proposed 2023 budget calls for a range of policies that would boost opportunity and reduce poverty, improve health and well-being, and advance widely shared prosperity. However, one aspect of the budget that is concerning is the, “$3.2 billion in discretionary resources at the Department of Justice for state and local grants and $30 billion in man­datory resources to support law enforcement and crime prevention”. This is concerning because law enforcement does not prevent crime, is a tool of white supremacy, and will only financially strengthen an institution that is rooted in white supremacy and colonialism at the expense of Black and Brown lives.

REFERENCES

About Out of Reach. (2021). National Low Income Housing Coalition.

https://reports.nlihc.org/oor/about#:%7E:text=A%20full%2Dtime%20worker%20needs,of%20%2418.78%20earned%20by%20renters.

Creamer, J. (2021, December 9). Inequalities Persist Despite Decline in Poverty For All

Major Race and Hispanic Origin Groups. United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/09/poverty-rates-for-blacks-and-hispanics-reached-historic-lows-in-2019.html

Hayes, T. O., & Barnhorst, M. (2020, July 2). Incarceration and Poverty in the United

States. American Action Forum. https://www.americanactionforum.org/research/incarceration-and-poverty-in-the-united-states/#:%7E:text=The%20United%20States%20is%20currently,to%20pay%20for%20their%20release.

How Many U.S. Deaths are Caused by Poverty, Lack of Education, and. (2000).

Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/how-many-us-deaths-are-caused-poverty-lack-education-and-other-social-factors

Kogan, R., Katch, H., Rosenbaum, D., Rice, D., Romig, K., Floyd, I., & Parrott, S. (2019,

May 15). Cuts to Low-Income Assistance Programs in President Trump’s 2020 Budget Are Wide-Ranging. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/cuts-to-low-income-assistance-programs-in-president-trumps-2020-budget-are

Scommegna, P. (2012, August 10). U.S. Has World’s Highest Incarceration Rate.

Population Reference Bureau (PRB). https://www.prb.org/resources/u-s-has-worlds-highest-incarceration-rate/#:%7E:text=The%20U.S.%20rate%20is%20500,than%20the%20rate%20for%20women.

US Census Bureau. (2022, January 21). National Poverty in America Awareness Month:

January 2022. Census.Gov. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/poverty-awareness-month.html#:%7E:text=The%20official%20poverty%20rate%20in,and%20Table%20B%2D4).

Over the past year, I have gone through a metamorphosis. My perspectives have changed, my horizons have broadened, and I have learned a lot not only about myself but about social justice, fat liberation, queer liberation, the intersectionality of systems of oppression, and more. At the beginning of my journey, I thought it was going to be easy, but to no real surprise, it wasn’t. No one told me how hard it was going to be to decolonize the lens I view the world with. Despite all of the trials and tribulations, I would not change any aspect of my journey.

Part of the unlearning journey I had to embark on involved my body, how I viewed myself, how I viewed fatness, and how that affected my gender. Before my journey started, I disliked my body and hid it, I was unhappy identifying as a woman, and I still viewed things through a colonized lens. Today, I am a confident, self-loving, self-accepting, fat, queer, non-binary being. Living that truth is what makes the journey worth the mental turmoil and process of unlearning in all aspects of my life.

The following is a culmination of what I have learned and my experience:

The gender binary and fatphobia are rooted in and enforced by racism, capitalism, patriarchy, white supremacy, and colonialism. These systems are intersectional, they all feed off of one another. I did not break free of insecurity, self-hatred, and anti-fatness until I decolonized the lens through which I view the human body until I decentralized my body as an object until I came to terms with my gender identity. I had to unlearn thin, cishet, and whiteness as the normal/standard.

I started my journey towards self-acceptance and self-love with body positivity but soon learned that body positivity still emphasized physical appearance as a component of self-worth. I couldn’t understand that I was comparing and expecting my body to look

like, and be a part of, a standard that I would never fit into, not only my body but my identity as well.

After some time, I learned about body neutrality. Body neutrality directly challenges the idea that your appearance determines your worth. Instead of viewing the body as an object and making judgments about it, I realized that the way my body looked had nothing to do with my mind, consciousness, intelligence, and gender. Additionally, being fat no longer held a negative connotation, it just became an adjective. Body neutrality helped me ungender my body which led to my coming out as non-binary.

Body neutrality (and other paths of unlearning) led me to discover the origins of the standards we are held to today and began a domino effect of decolonization. I no longer hold myself to a standard of cishet, thin, whiteness. Despite all of this, I am still learning and expanding my perspectives every day. By breaking out of the gender binary box, embracing body neutrality, and not paying attention to standards created/enforced by racism, capitalism, patriarchy, white supremacy, and colonialism I have accepted (and love) my body, my gender, my fatness, MYSELF.