Coming out femme

You know those days when it's absolutely necessary that you wear the sexy undies,paint your lips crimson, pull on the heels, or wear the sparkly jewelry? That'swhere I'm at today.

Today is National Coming OutDay (NCAD)- a day during which gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer folks around theglobe have the opportunity to shout out loud about their identities. It's a dayfor those of us who can come out safely to do so in social and politicalprotest- to be a voice for those who cannot. It's a day for those of us whocannot come out to see that there others like us. It's a day for our straightand cis-gendered allies to come out with their love and support.

This coming out day, I'mthinking about identity. In the spring of 2001 I began coming out (and by that Imean I began making out with girls at theater cast parties). By December of 2001 I'd told my mother. By February of 2002 my father and brother also knew.At that point, I came out as a lesbian although today I identify as queer.

Today, I'm thinking less aboutmy queer identity and more about my queer femme identity.

My progress on Weight Watchers this week has beenminimal. I'm tracking as best as I can, and trying not to give myself too muchgrief about it. I'm not losing weight so far this week. I know that this is aprocess and yet today is one of those days when the femme in me desperatelywishes that all those pretty dresses and skirts that I have in my closet fitlike a glove instead of like a straitjacket (or not at all as the case is with many of them). I wish I could twirl in the mirror and love every ounce of methat I see in my reflection. It's one of those days when I want to be taken outdancing or for a walk along the beach-completely femmed out and loving it.

In my rational brain, I know thatfemme doesn't equal thin. But in my feeling heart, I struggle not to equate thetwo. I question how I can hold my femme identity when I don't sit well in mybody. I worry that by not believing in my femme-self when the scales tipheavier and my curves are curvier (in all the "wrong" places ofcourse) that I cannot truly be "out" as a femme.  

Basically, I don't know how toalign my liberal queer, my femme, my "chubby kid", and myrecovering-bulimic identities. I get tangled up in media and history and"should" and "sexy" and fear.

What to do in the meantime?

Well, today, I've decided to comeout. While I haven't figured out all my femme-definitions and I don'tget to go on that date today, thismorning I pulled on the pencil skirt, purposefully chose my femme-undies, andpainted my lips crimson. Femme red.

Today, I'm coming out femme. Because she's there insideof me and wants to come out to play. Because I know there are other ladies likeme who are struggling with femme identity and body size. Because I do have thecapacity to use my voice. Because it is safe to do so. And, because I like myselfall femmed out.

It's the small things...

So I joined Weight Watchers again on Saturday morning. It was an act of rebellion and of appreciation: a small step, a small victory, and a small "I believe in you, lady." 

Going back to Weight Watchers is about losing weight, yes, and it's about more than that. It's about investing time in myself. About believing that I'm worth the time to pour my own consciousness into; that my body, my heart, and my mind are good as they are *and* better when they're healthier. 

So, while I didn't love the leader on Saturday, I love that I went to meeting. And that I stayed. And that I'm going back. And that I'm in this journey once again. And that I'm already appreciating the small things. Like the run/walk I went for this weekend; the first in a month.

It was lovely.

Sunday afternoon was a gray, rainy day- the kind of reminds me of Berwick. I'd spent all afternoon cooking up garlic-ginger  fried rice with veggies and tofu (one of this week's meals- another small wonder), and I needed to stretch. So, I donned my gear and headed for the pond. Including a warm-up ten minutes and cool down of five, I was out for 50 minutes total.

According to the JP Pond's website, it's a 1.5 mile loop around the pond, so with my added distance to and from, it seems as though I did a 4.25 mile run/walk. My knee (left this time) felt it on Monday, so I need to take extra stretch precautions. Tonight, after dancing, I'll foam roll.

It was so good to get out- am looking forward to going again this afternoon. It's likely I'll  just walk today as my knee is still tender and there's dancing tonight and spin tomorrow. Oh, spin. How I've missed my midday dance party...

Other small things I'm appreciating so far this week? 

• Making space for quality time with one of my favorite people
• Sitting down to eat breakfast in my kitchen this morning- a *BIG* accomplishment for a weekday
• Tracking my points for breakfast, lunch and today's snack (which is dark chocolate- another small appreciation!) 
• Writing in this blog

So many good things. So many good small things.

A letter to you- and myself.

***Warning: This blog post purposefully uses the term "fat" throughout the writing. This is not intended to be pejorative but a reclamation of the term as I navigate my own dialogue with body and weight. If this language is a trigger for you, please be aware.

Dear fat girls,

Have you ever just wanted to disappear into yourself? Have you  second-guessed yourself and your body so much that you're not sure it's even yours anymore? Welcome to my summer.

I started off this summer in a wonderful way -going to the gym each day, eating thoughtfully even if not healthily, appreciating what my body could do as much as it looks, and generally being aware of my needs and wants.

And then life got in the way, as it often does. And, as the summer progressed, I found myself avoiding those things I'd instituted into my life that were for my *self*. And the weight that I'd gained overnight this spring when I was put on a new medication just kept increasing. Eventually, I found myself at a new number - one I haven't been at for 5 years.

And, while I've been acknowledging to myself that *I* am more than this new number, and acknowledging that life has gotten in the way, and forgiving myself all of that, I still feel shame. A person close to me noted just this week that I haven't been blogging. I admitted that it's because I'm ashamed of how I am right now - of my size and of my struggle. I feel vulnerable and it's uncomfortable to talk about that vulnerability publicly.

Yet over my years of blogging, I have been both proud of and found it helpful to talk publicly about these issues. There are far too few spaces in which we can truly talk about our bodies without being shamed (much less without feeling internalized shame and fat-phobia). There are far too few places where we can be vulnerable without fear of negative social, personal, or professional consequence.

For me, as a queer, femme woman, there is also an inherent tension  between my identity and the social expectation that my femme body be slim, curvy and, essentially, airbrushed. This leads to all sorts of discomfort in identity: If I'm not slim then am I femme? If I'm femme do I have to be slim? If my curves aren't hourglass, are they attractive? Should I care? If I don't feel comfortable in my body how do I embody my identity- the femininity of femme?

And then I get pulled down rabbit holes of questions and concerns- often becoming overwhelmed and ashamed. This summer reflected that pattern for me.

People don't often comment publicly on this blog. Instead they reach out to me privately via email or in person to tell me that they're struggling with the same issues I'm writing about. These people are my friends, my colleagues, and my family. I realize that by writing publicly about my struggles, that I am giving voice to those who cannot comment publicly. And yet I've still been afraid to do so this summer.

Yesterday I was forwarded  a video that's going viral about a news anchor who was "called out" on being fat by a viewer. She used that opportunity to make a public statement about the discrimination and bullying of fat people. While I appreciated her commentary on bullying, what resonated the most about the video was the moment where she asked that viewer if he truly thinks that she doesn't know she is overweight.

I wanted to simultaneously applaud and cry at that point because that's the story of my life. People assume that because you're overweight you don't know any better. Or, better yet, that you just don't try hard enough. They assume that you're lazy, that losing weight is easy physically and emotionally, and that if you don't you lose weight then you must not want it enough. But they don't know about your life, your history, or your body.

I have struggled with the weight of weight for all of my life. It gets easier over time and yet it's always difficult. As I find myself coming into this fall -once again overweight and struggling- I have to remember that this is a journey and for me it needs to be a public journey. I gain personal strength by acknowledging to myself and to my community the struggles that I navigate through each day. And, I draw strength from the encouragements I receive when I hear other people's challenges. I also hope that my blogging contributes to unraveling the silent shame that accompanies fat-phobia and sexism. And I hope if makes folks feel like they're not alone.

So, I'm picking up the pen again (so to speak) and as I move through this fall and you can expect to see more writing from me about identity, body, shame, pride, eating, and feeling. And, yes, I'll be talking about this process even when I feel vulnerable for all the fat girls (and guys) out there.

The beauty of doing the thing that makes you break a little...

I cried at the end of my first ever spin class today. Call it adrenaline Call it relief. Call it letting everything inside move out through my legs and arms for 45 minutes to thankfully-louder-than-my-thoughts pop-rock Call it release.

I truly believe that my journey to this spin class has taken me my whole adult life. Because, whereas in the past I've pushed myself to workout, to run, to lift because I wanted to be something else (thinner, fitter, stronger, more successful, envied, looked up to...) today I took this class because I wanted to experience something new. To experience myself. To believe in myself. And, perhaps, to love myself a little more.

Currently, I'm not the fittest I've ever been. Nor the strongest. Nor the most successful. That is, if we're judging those attributes by weight or body mass or muscle. Today, in spin class, I redefined those words if only for 45 minutes.

Fit is being healthy with myself: holding a healthy view of my needs, wants, fears, capabilities, and joys.
Strength is believing in myself: listening to my voice and, sometimes, giving in and letting go.
Successful is in living: loving myself, trusting myself, being.

So, I cried in spin class today. I loved every damn moment of those 45-minutes- including the tears. And, after, I went up to the instructor and thanked her; with tears in my eyes, the biggest smile on my face, and peace running through mind and body. Beautiful.

Catching up

I've not posted here for a long time- mainly because there's been a lot of transition + somewhat because said transition has wreaked havoc on my body (there's some shame in the latter)

Just over a month ago I applied for, interviewed, then accepted a new job. I've taken myself in a direction that I was able to explore in my last position and wanted to realize more- development. And now I find myself, a fledgling Director of Development, becoming used to a new way of working and living.

I've only been in the job a week and there are certain things I miss. I do enjoy my new coworkers but have left some good friends behind and feel that absence.

Being 1 of 3 women in the agency and the only one in my office is also a drastic change. There's no asking for emergency tampons or talking with that female rhythm. I've not been the minority gender since high school... so a change.

I'm also missing some everyday things- a lunchroom + co-workers who eat lunch together (have eaten out a lot this week), a water bubbler (brought in a brita), conference rooms, and computer speakers (I work so much better to bluegrass).

All of these things (+ the lead up to leaving) have led me to forget my eating and exercise rhythm. The pattern of self care I integrated into my daily routine.

I know the transition is leveling out and next week offers the opportunity for continued balance. There's a YMCA close by that I can workout at during lunch (hurrah!); I just need to bust through my fear and go. On good weather days I can bike in (9 miles) with my honey. I can find places to lunch outside. I can find speakers.

I'm loving the new challenges: writing the year-end appeal, finding a venue for Pride brunch, designing my first save the date,  beginning to learn my way around the donor database (all in week 1). I'm asking a lot of questions ("what's the password again?", "hold on, what function did you use?") but am confident I'll remember it all soon.

And, in between, I have to figure out a new routine for self care- a concept and practice I truly believe in (thanks to REACH and Maureen). This care must stretch from work hours to workouts, lunch to snacks, treats out to financial savings, and continue the connection with those I no longer get to see everyday.

Basically, it has to prioritize me.

For the last 3 weeks of my previous job I prioritized the agency; wanting to leave everything wrapped up well, wanting to reassure my co-workers that I wasn't abandoning them. Overall, not the best self care move. This week has been about figuring out my new environment and learning how to make it supportive of my needs. Now I've identified strategies that I just need to put into place.

So, I'm building anew this summer. Going to reclaim my time, mind and my body (and those pants that are a little too right now thanks to this last month). And, will keep this updated with my learnings along the way.

rowing = meditation

rowing = meditation

meditation = Zen

Zen = calm

calm = happy

happy = yes

I may have found a new favorite gym activity.

Mission Workout: Phase 1 complete!

I joined the West Roxs YMCA tonight. Arrived at 7:30pm and enjoyed a thorough tour by Rich (who is the best welcome wagon you could ask for) before signing up and paying my joining fee.

By 8:30pm I was on the upright bike for my first workout- 22mins + 5 miles of fun. Yes, fun. One of their sets of bikes have built in screens and reactive seats + handlebars. You cycle a course like you would in real life, or at an arcade but you're powering the action! It was awesome! My butt hurt after a while though so I switched to a hilly treadmill walk for 10mins + 1.3 miles. My right IT band gave me some problems so had to stop and stretch. Also wanted to vomit after 15 mins of walking but I think this was because I was hungry (the last thing I ate was chocolate at 4pm-bad move).

Signed up for first free training session of 3. I'll be meeting Nora next Tuesday at 7am. Yes, a.m. as in ridiculously early. But she was highly praised as a trainer and I thought what the hell, this may jumpstart me back to early mornings.

So, awesome night overall (minus the nausea). Came home at 9:20pm to toast and a faux  chikin patty. Not really balanced but all my tummy could manage. Will have to work on scheduling my meals/snacks better.

Tummy feels better now and am heading to bed.  Next gym date- tomorrow after work :)