Stacy Bias: Press

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Stacy Bias is the woman behind the FatGirl Speaks Conference, a celebration of size, self and sexuality held in Portland in 2004. Since then, she has teamed with F.A.T. PDX (Fat Action Troupe Portland) to organize Cupcake, a popular monthly dance party at Holocene for “fat folks and allies.”

Bias recently began working on a book. The working title is FatGirl Speaks, and she will be interviewing women of size from around the world for the project. She says she received 215 responses in just three days of Internet solicitation.

“It’s something that people really want to talk about.” Bias, who has been a “fat activist” for three years and a queer activist for six, says this new project is very close to her.

“I need to hear these stories from people…. This is a way for me to actively connect with people who are having the fat experience so I can understand experiences that are other than my own and to get people involved in their own experiences.”

Bias recently received a fat apology Aug. 30 from Willamette Week. The paper devoted a page to letters from readers and an apology to Bias in response to a cruel listing it ran about her project with anti-fat sentiments. Refer to the Just Out blog at www.justout.com for details.

Bias’ book project will spread her message beyond the usually accepting Portland borders to cities where size discrimination is more acceptable.

“I know it’s different in other places,” she explained. “The goal is to create an opportunity for people in other cities and other places to do what we’re doing with FatGirl Speaks.”

For more information visit www.stacybias.net.

Piece of Cake

Cupcake is the newest queer-friendly party to come to Holocene. Stacy Bias, creator of this sugary-sweet night, has some big ideas of bringing in a little niche market that carries a lot of weight in thealterna-queer scene of gay Portland. Cupcake is designed for “fat folks and allies” to dance and minglein what she refers to as a “safe space.” Not exclusively queer, Cupcake’s intention is to help break down the stereotypes of our fatphobic culture, showing that “fitness and fatness are not mutually exclusive,” Bias explains, and that “self-worth doesn’t depend on size.” But with that agenda aside, Cupcake is also a fun dance party with a DJ, sexy big girl slide show and, best of all, cupcake hors d’oeuvres seductively laid out on all the tables. I was most impressed with the organization of the evening as Holocene was magically transformed to emulate a crafty homemade valentine. The tables and bar were not only filled with cupcakes, but also cute pink centerpieces and free stickers claiming that…well…basically, Jenny Craig is a fu*#ed-up bitch! And if you didn’t agree with Bias’ aesthetics, no problem—you could simply tell her what you wanted changed on one of her many survey sheets strategically placed around the room.The Sunday evening time slot, combined with snacks, stickers and a survey, gave the event a bit of an ice-cream-social, lunch-at-Martha-Stewart’s-house kind of vibe. Though I found it enchanting, it was not the down-and-dirty dance party I wanted it to be. This month Cupcake temporarily moves to a Friday night, March 24, so some of the organization might get trampled by the sweaty, sexy folks ready to show the world that sometimes the best things do come in large packages. Cupcake is held from 4 to 10 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of every month at 1001 S.E. Morrison St.Admission is $5.—