OtherPress. Room 1020-700 Royal Ave. Douglas College New Westminster, BC V3L 5B2 TELEPHONE: 604.525.3542 WEBSITE: theotherpress.ca EMAIL: editor@theotherpress.ca STAFF LIST Natalie Serafini Editor-in-Chief Meditor@theotherpress.ca Eric Wilkins Assistant Editor Massistant@theotherpress.ca Angela Ho Business Manager Chandler Walter Distribution Manager Mike LeMieux Layout Manager Joel McCarthy Graphics Manager Cara Seccafien Production Assistant Ed Appleby IHustrator Jony Roy Social Media Coordinator Angela Espinoza News Editor Minews@theotherpress.ca Cheryl Minns Arts Editor Marts@theotherpress.ca Chitwan Khosla Features Editor Mfeatures@theotherpress.ca Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor Mlifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca Elliot Chan Opinions Editor Mopinions@theotherpress.ca Sharon Miki Humour Editor Mhumour@theotherpress.ca Staff Writers Adam Tatelman Alex Stanton Cazzy Lewchuk Mercedes Deutscher Senior Columnists Jerrison Oracion Patrick Vaillancourt Privilege and prejudice t’s a tragic reality that discrimination still exists in need evidence that people are treated differently—looking around at the world would indicate that—but let’s make a short list anyways. Things like discrimination against First Nations people, where the RCMP’s 2014 report, Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women, stated that “[the 225 unsolved cases of missing or murdered Aboriginal females] indicates that Aboriginal women are over- ! : by Melissa A. Fabello broke : down why skinny-shaming isn’t : reverse discrimination. Now, : I’m not saying that skinny- : shaming is at all acceptable. : It’s downright mean, but it isn’t : the same as fat-shaming. This : is partly because fat-shaming : emerges from fat-phobia. represented among Canada’s murdered and missing women.” Or how, as Laverne Cox said in an interview with Katie Couric, “The homicide rate in the LGBT community is highest amongst trans women.’ Or how in a 2013 study, 56 per cent of respondents preferred to “lose $1,000 than gain 20 pounds.” Discrimination, inequality, and outright hate are huge problems. There’s also another problem that emerges, when marginalized people empower themselves with movements like #BlackLivesMatter, or the big-body-loving song “All About that Bass” from Meghan Trainor: the issue is many respond with #AllLivesMatter, or accuse Trainor of skinny- shaming; some even suggest © Getloknowus! © The Other Press has been Douglas College’s student newspaper since 1976. Since 1978 we have been an autonomous publication, independent of the student union. We area registered society under the Society Act of British Columbia, governed by an eight-person board of directors appointed by our staff. Our head office is located in the New Westminster campus. © The Other Press is published weekly during the fall and winter semesters, and monthly during the summer. We receive our funding from a student levy collected through tutition fees every semester at registration, and from local and national advertising revenue. The Other Press is a member ofthe Canadian University Press (CUP), asyndicate of student newspapers that includes : these are examples of reverse : discrimination. our society. I don't think I really : : movements are without : their problems: for instance, : #BlackLivesMatter has been : criticized for not fully including : trans women of colour, and : Trainor has been critiqued as : anti-feminist. But while it’s true : that all bodies are beautiful : and all lives matter, saying so : in this instance glosses over : the empowerment of long- : marginalized groups. I’m not saying these For example, an excellent article on Everyday Feminism On the meaning of fat- papers from all across Canada. © The OtherPressreservestheright to choose what we will publish, and we will not publish material that is hateful, obscene, or condones or promotes illegal activities. Submissions may be edited for clarity and brevity if necessary. All images used are copyright to their respective owners. : standards plaguing my mind are : awful—but the rest of the world : : isn’t shunning me because of my : : body.” : institutional fat-phobia, which : Fabello points out is part of : the power behind fat-shaming: : fat-shaming is reinforced by : how our society encourages : us to be slender. That isn’t just : in the ever-present images of : slender bodies as examples of : conventional beauty; that’s : reinforced in never being : “asked to pay more for a seat : on an airplane—because the : seats were designed with my : body type in mind. I’ve never : experienced a doctor dismissing : : my health concerns by telling : me that if I just ‘lose weight; all : of my problems will be solved : ... [can walk into a clothing : store and (most likely) find : items in my size—because I’m : : considered ‘standard.” : phobia, Fabello gave an example : : of two friends, one skinny : and one fat, chowing on some : ice cream: she describes how, : while the skinny friend might : count calories, she wouldn't : be judged by others. “My fat : friend, though? People might be : passing her, looking disgusted. : They might be giving her : unsolicited diet advice. They : might even openly comment : on what she’s eating. The sexist struggle to fit into clothing; I’m : short and I have to get my jeans : hemmed, but that doesn’t mean : clothing stores discriminate : against my body. Long pants : perpetually dragging on the : floor is not the same as being : actively discouraged from : shopping at certain stores— : as Abercrombie & Fitch was : criticized for doing in 2013, with : women’s clothing only going There’s also the issue of Of course, anyone could Screenshot of ‘All About that Bass’ via Youtube : up toa size large. Robin Lewis, of The New Rules of Retail, is quoted saying about A&F’s CEO : Mike Jeffries that “He doesn’t : want larger people shopping : in his store, he wants thin and : beautiful people.” As I said before, of course : all bodies are beautiful and all : lives matter—nobody’s saying : otherwise. But as Fabello : explains, “only some lives—and : only some bodies—are given : that privilege as a birthright. ... : Something can be body-positive : and at the same time, leave thin : bodies out of the conversation. : [E]radicating oppression : sometimes means decentering the conversation from around : the oppressor.” It’s inaccurate to equate skinny-shaming and fat- : shaming, because they aren't the : same; it’s short-sighted to say : all lives matter, because there’s : a larger picture. The intentions : are good, but in an attempt : at equality, saying all bodies : are beautiful re-centres the : conversation back to its original, : unequal position. In trying to : position yourself as an ally to all, : you ignore the marginalization : of many. Hello gorgeous, Natali Serafin’ Editor-in-Chief @ theotherpress.ca | +f facebook.com/DouglasOtherPress | twitter.com/theotherpress youtube.com/user/theotherpress instagram.com/theotherpress