Seattle FatCon ep.1

Something you may not know about me: I am shy. I am a wildly extroverted person, and I am shy. Hardly anyone believes this about me, but it is true. Given the right circumstances, it takes me a while to let go of anxiety and go for it. Plus COVID, and lots of people — albeit masked people, bless them — and it takes me a while to kind of venture out. 

So today was a relaxed day. I met a friend for breakfast, had my first photo shoot, met some folks in a very small group, and had a dear old friend over for dinner. (Dim sum. Nomnomnom dumplings.) Tomorrow, my schedule is busy, but today was just getting the lay of the land, as it were. 

The big FatCon thing for me today was my first photo shoot with Shoog McDaniel. I wore a fuchsia and black velvet burnout babydoll top and used some of the fabric that the most excellent and glorious Julica gave me. I felt beautiful and empowered and I loved the way that Shoog obviously saw my body and me. So precious. And I get to do it again tomorrow…with a somewhat more revealing theme. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Let me just say — and I’m sure I’ll have more on this tomorrow, as well — there are so many BABES here. Tons of femmes (and other people too: lots of non-binary-appearing folks with a sprinkling of masc-presenting folks) with brightly colored hair. Green, red, rainbow, violet. I’m very glad we did my hair last weekend! But yes, it is beauty everywhere I look. Everywhere. A fair number of the folks here are in my “size class,” and I’m definitely not the only person who’s rented a scooter just for the event. 

The big thing, though, if you’ll pardon the inadvertent pun, is that everyone is so NICE and HELPFUL. Usually, when I meet new straight-sized people, there is this moment of Oh, you’re really big. A moment of recognition that I am…whatever that person has in their mind about really fat people. I brace for it without even knowing I’m doing it.

But here it’s recognition in another way. An eye-to-eye understanding of so many things in an instant’s connection. And SUCH appreciation for one another. I mean, the BEAUTY. Ugh, it’s so amazing. And everyone is telling everyone where we got our clothes. “I love your dress,” someone said to me yesterday. “Universal Standard, and thank you!” I replied. “I love your top,” I returned, and they said, “I know! Isn’t it great? Torrid.” So cute. 

I’m not having the Nirvana experience yet, but give it time. I mean, tomorrow will include shibari for fat people (including suspension), drawing the fat body, and another photo shoot!