Fat Derby + Five Things You Can Do to Encourage It

What does it mean to be a fat roller derby player?

As discussed in a previous post, the face of derby is usually a very particular one: slim-waisted and large-breasted. Team logos and posters and other facets of the public persona of derby almost always feature slim women or stereotypical pin-up proportions. This is odd given that derby in actuality embraces lots of sizes. You do not have to be a size 4 (and a D cup to boot) to block, or even to jam, though smaller players are often assumed to be jammer material.  You can be a large player and still kick derby behind. It can be difficult, however, for players to speak and act the fat-acceptance the sport seems to encourage, while derby culture simultaneously places fat players under erasure.

(A side-note on language here: I am not using the word fat in a derogatory way. I am a believer in fat-acceptance and an enemy of body-shaming. Size is not a sure indicator of health. Fat-acceptance activists continue to work on reclaiming the word 'fat' and I'm going to respect their work enough to use it myself.)

by winterbutterfly81 on DeviantArt, quote from Julie Garwood

Derby needs players of all sizes. The greater our base of would-be players, the better our sport can be. That's not to say that we should overhaul roller derby for the masses and that we should rob the sport of what makes it wonderful, namely the DIY aesthetic, the focus on women working together, and the sport's ingrained humour. But we do need to look critically at how, regardless of our intentions, we actively encourage some women to play and discourage others.  As players and supporters of the sport, we have a hand in shaping it every time we play, every time we hang out with each other, every time we tack up a bout poster. Are you doing enough to encourage women of all sizes to join the roller derby family?

Some people might say that fatness is inherently at odds with being a good derby skater, that athleticism requires being slim and toned. I must call bull-shit on that one. A player's skill on the rink relates to their dedication, practice, endurance, speed, and a host of other things that are not necessarily dictated by a player's weight. Fitness is the key there, not weight. There are players in my league who are fatter than me but frequently skate circles around me.

Even more importantly, roller derby is not just a sport, it's a movement. It's one of the few women-focused areas we have that isn't solely defined by outmoded stereotypes of what women 'should' be. We have a duty to the women we play with to keep roller derby a positive space for women.

So how do we do this? How do we help roller derby progress? Here's five ideas.

1) We look more closely at how we brand our sport through logos, posters, and league websites. We make those representations of players more inclusive by featuring different sizes, by talking to the artists we work with.

2) We demand better from the companies we buy from. If their knee-pads only go up to an M/L and that's not big enough for you or some of your league-members, write to the company. Tell them they need to do better and they just might.

3) We demand more from the third-party companies who don't make merchandise, but do sell it. Ask where their fat models are. Offer to be one. Suggest merchandise with sizing and/or support for players of all sizes.

4) Eliminate body-shaming from your derby vocabulary. Stop saying "Oh, my thighs look awful in these short-shorts" when the player next to you, regardless of size,  might have thought she looked pretty fine in her hotpants right up until you said that.  Self-hatred has no place in roller derby. It catches. Judge yourself by your skill and dedication, not your size. Encourage your fellow players to do the same.

5) Talk. Organize. Educate yourself on the challenges fat players face. Look up fat derby bloggers and activists and get in touch with them. My league president has a fab fat derby blog at Vansterdamn XXX: True Adventures of a Big-Ass Derby Girl. Consider blogging yourself. We need more voices if we're going to have a good conversation.

In short, love your derby self and make damn sure you're encouraging your team-mates to do the same.