Task Force on Feminist Perspectives on Sizism

Co-chairs: Martha Bergen, PhD and Sonia Carrizales, MA

The Task Force on Feminist Perspectives on Sizism seeks to increase visibility of size, size-based oppression and sizism as an important multicultural issue within psychology. With an inclusive lens, we aim to address intersections of age, race and socioeconomic status, and to look at the similar and different ways sizism impacts men, women, trans-identified and gender queer individuals. We plan to focus on size acceptance in an effort to challenge culturally dominant views of obesity as a "curable problem" to be medically treated. By confronting myths about size, we hope to highlight the resilience of persons of diverse size. This task force will increase awareness about discrimination, prejudice, microaggressions and institutional oppression experienced by persons of size. We aim to reach a wide audience, including those within psychology (students, researchers, clinicians), those who have influence on public policy and the public at large. We plan to foster community within psychology, bringing together persons of size and size allies to share in support, advocacy, connection and action.

Thank you to Maureen McHugh, president of Div. 35, for creating this task force.