Seattle’s Fat Con: Self-image and body acceptance front and center
(Photos by Jordan Somers)
By Lorcan Stokes
Fat Con, a convention focused on body acceptance and highlighted as "the biggest Fat celebration of the year," premiered last weekend at the Hyatt at Olive 8.
The Convention is arranged by Puckduction, an arts and culture organization headed by Mx. Pucks A'Plenty, a well-known burlesque performer based in Seattle, and five other directors. While Fat Con had its inaugural event in 2024, the foundation of the event has been in the works since before the pandemic.
"While the shelter-in-place was happening, burlesque didn't stop. People were doing burlesque online. One of the things I noticed is that we were still seeing kind of a lack of body representation for performers of size," said Pucks A'Plenty. "So I teamed up with a friend in Atlanta, and we produced an all-plus sized burlesque show virtually together for some time."
It was this initial team-up that led to Fat Con.
"That got a seed in my head that I really wanted to have an all-plus size or all-performer-size burlesque festival," said Pucks A'Plenty. "That's how Fat Con was born in 2022, with the hope we would be able to launch our event in 2023."
As for the name of the Convention, Pucks explains it's because it was simple and straightforward.
" I think any word said with venom can be negative, and I think that, as a society, we have really bought into health and wellness being equal to what size you are or what size pants you wear," said Pucks A'Plenty. "Just because one is unhealthy according to you does not mean they don't deserve humanity or respect. I think it's important we use fat for what it is: a descriptor and nothing more."
Despite the event planned for 2023, setbacks such as finding the right venue pushed it back to the start of this year.
"We didn't have a lot of success talking to hotels and trying to get them excited about this event," said Pucks. "I ended up going ahead with the burlesque piece in 2023, which was Fatlesque FestNorthwest, with the hopes that we would use that momentum to make Fat Con 2024 happen. Which is exactly what we did."
Fatlesque FestNorthwest is a burlesque show that aims to "thicken up burlesque stages all over the country." They also returned from January 4th to the 6th this year, just before Fat Con's opening day.
As for Fat Con, the event's mission focused on not seeking acceptance but seeking liberation.
"For us, liberation truly is just humans treating people like human beings. Fat liberation is looking at size discrimination. Employment is not protected. Size discrimination is something that I think we all know exists, but actually having it pointed out to you is pretty jarring just in terms of fat women getting paid significantly less than fat men," said Pucks A'Plenty. "We also talk about fat liberation in the context of health and access to doctors. You can go to the doctor with a broken toe, and they will tell you if you lost 150 lbs, your toe wouldn't be broken when it has nothing to do with your size. That's why health at any size is so important, so these are the things that we talk about in terms of liberation."
The event was not without controversy, as it gained significant recognition on social media platforms, prompting hate comments.
"I will say that we hit a nerve real hard. I found out we were on Twitter and TikTok, and people were losing their minds," said Pucks A'Plenty. "My initial thought was, "Oh no." Then it's like, well, the people that need to find us are probably going to find us now because these people are so mad."
Pucks also responded to the backlash from Conservative news sites criticizing the event.
"If I'm pissing these people off, then clearly I'm doing the right thing because I don't ever want to be in locksteps with these people," said Pucks A'Plenty.
As for the weekend itself, Pucks A'Plenty highlights that it was a success.
"There was a lot of laughter, a lot of tears, but really good tears. There were pool parties," said Pucks A'Plenty. "Every moment was a fashion moment, and we also got to learn about what brands care about us and what we're doing."
The Convention, which capped at 350 people due to a recent spike in COVID, featured numerous businesses, including photographer Shoog McD, licensed chiropractic physician & Functional Medicine Practitioner Dr. Ryder, Two Big Blonde Shuttles, Partners in Print, and more. Additionally, the Convention hosted the Fat Babes Marketplace, which included vendors such as Earth & Wear By Nicki, The Plus Bus, Natures Twist, Strongsuit, Heavy Duty Vintage, Chub Rub," and Toni PNW.
"It's important that people don't feel alone. When you are in a marginalized body, that's the immediate thing that happens. It's very isolating. It makes it easy to bully people. It makes it easier to take advantage of people, to hurt and harm people," said Pucks A'Plenty. "But by creating these events, we are creating spaces where people aren't alone, they have community and friends they can reach out to, and they're not lost."
As of right now, Pucks is already in the process of setting up Fat Con for 2024.
"I would love it if, as a society, we just decide to treat people as people and go with body neutrality, and I don't have to do a Fat Con or Fatlesque fest," said Pucks A'Plenty. "Until that day happens, I will keep answering the call and help create events that service the communities I'm a part of."
