Myth America Show

[May 5th, 2004] I've come face to face with the most beautiful woman in America. And guess what? She weighs 375 pounds.

Stacy Bias shatters any illusions I had about fat chicks. The fearless leader of the lesbo-centric website TechnoDyke, Bias is sophisticated and accomplished, a big flirt full of energy and confidence. Instead of sugarcoating her size, this 5-foot 10-inch, big-time beauty celebrates her fatness and wants other girls to do the same.

"Don't postpone joy," says Bias, sounding like an anti-Oprah, "no matter what your size."

Just as gays and lesbians transformed the phobic word "queer" by claiming the label as their own, this 29-year-old thoroughly feminine femme made it her mission to transform the f-word--that's F-A-T--into something more fun.

Her Herculean efforts resulted in last year's hugely successful Fat Girl Speaks, a celebration of size, self and sexuality.

This year's fatty fete will be at the Roseland Theater, where 800 plus-size women are expected to partake in live performances, fashion shows and workshops--including one devoted to keeping fit.

That's right, fat people can be fit, too.

I found that out when I met Bias and her personal trainer, Maria Callahan, at Loprinzi's Gym in Southeast Portland. This old-school weight room proved to be the perfect spot to crush the misguided myths I had about fatties. Like the notion that big girls aren't sexy.

"Big girls get plenty of lovin'," Callahan says.

"But fat femmes have a hard time," Bias says, explaining her belief that it's easier to be a big, butch dyke than it is to be a large lipstick lesbian. "Fat butchies get to work out their daddy fantasies."

They also clued me to the fact that big gals are strong.

"Fat girls need to take action to empower themselves," says the rock-solid, 220-pound Callahan, who will lead this weekend's Fit and Fat workshop. "It's all about finding out what you can do at your size, not what you can't do."

Sadly, all women, fat or skinny women, get plenty of messages about what they should think about their bodies. Not too many of those messages are healthy. "No matter what her size, every women thinks she has 20 pounds to lose," says the 38-year-old Callahan.

Likewise, dangerous new television shows like The Swan and Extreme Makeover encourage women--and men--to take drastic measures when it comes to weight loss. These mesmerizing shows send the message that if you are fat, then there must be something wrong with you, something that can be fixed with a suction tube, peer pressure, and low-carb bread.

In its own sweet way, Fat Girl Speaks works to transform the message of self-loathing into an attitude of self-loving. And I respect that. I also have a newfound respect for all those people who accept themselves the way they are--weight and all.

"We're fat," says Bias, matter-of-factly. "So let's have a party."