Oh, for pete's sake. This conversation is silly.

Let's put aside the gay analogy, and take up the Irish speakers one.

For many years--and perhaps still, I don't know--speakers of Irish wore a circle pin to signal to each other that if they were addressed in Irish, they would answer in Irish and be happy to carry on a conversation in that language.

No one thought the pin said 'Do me here and now because we both speak Irish.' It wasn't confusing. Similarly, I wouldn't mind knowing when I meet a fellow fat friendly person, *regardless of their size*. That's because I would use language differently, be more relaxed about certain things, make jokes that I make here but not in the rest of my life, and so on.

I would *proudly* wear such an item.

Seriously. No one is asking you not to post, only to consider the feelings of other members before you do.

I think you'd be surprised to hear that many supersized women, and even mid-ranged bbws like me, find that many men here prefer women smaller than we are. And that we can sometimes feel overrun by girls and women with tiny little bellies--the kind you find super cute, which they no doubt are--and thus feel like fat women(as opposed to chubsters) aren't valued.

What I'm saying is 'the grass is always greener'. One always sees more of what one isn't looking for, oddly enough. So so so so many people here feel like we're not finding what we're looking for. Just be patient and keep looking at the (many) pics and vids and profiles of members with cute little bellies, that's all.

Have fun!

If you haven't tried the oatmeal bath, then do. I loved them when I had chicken pox.

But seriously--I hate doctors, but this sounds like something you should be seen for. I gather you don't have insurance, but perhaps you could go to the ER and see if the social workers can help you get some help with payment. When I took my daughter to the ER without insurance, they were VERY helpful.

Hey, all,

I just posted the link to the article in Stella magazine about us in a thread in the Fat Lib forum, here:

fantasyfeeder.com/cms/forum/viewthread.php

along with a question about whether you think it's a good idea or not. I thought some people who don't read that forum might be interested, too, so here's a plug for a) the article, and the thread.

Do please read the article and post in the thread, if you're so inclined.

Yesterday, Stella, the women's magazine of the Sunday Telegraph (a conservative UK paper), ran a story on us. You can see it here:

www.telegraph.co.uk/relationships/8155024/Feed-me-now-women-who-love-being-fat.html

although the print version had a couple of other pics.

I think it's a really good story, and very positive for us. But in the past, when stories like this have appeared, people have been upset at the mention of the site's name. (Last night, there was someone in chat who had just signed up because he read the story.)

What do you all think? Is the story a good thing for us?

I wonder if it would be helpful to post a list of 'warning signs.' A lot of perfectly reasonable people were fooled by this one, but those of us who see too much could see it immediately.

Why don't we start a list here that could turn into a help section?

OK, y'all. I'm totally on the 'I don't like these threads' train. I find them hurtful to too many people who hope to be named and aren't.

But as much of a grammar nazi as I am, I'm also well aware this is an international forum. Not everyone speaks perfect English. When we all perfect three or four other languages, like many of the non-native speakers of English here, then we can talk. I'm not at all religious, but this really is a case of 'Let he who is without (grammatical) sin (in non-native languages) cast the first stone.'

Meanie.