Campus Connection

Organization for Campus Women Spring Symposium features Laurie Cooper Stoll

Laurie Cooper Stoll, founding director of UWL’s Institute for Social Justice, will present “No more apologies: Fatphobia, body positivity and social justice” for the Organization for Campus Women Spring Symposium. The symposium runs from 11:30-1 p.m. Friday, April 20, in 3310 Student Union. Presentation begins at noon. The cost is $5 at the door. A light lunch is included. All are welcome. An RSVP is necessary by Monday, April 16, to Sharie Brunk at sbrunk@uwlax.edu or 608.785.6951. The presentation will discuss findings from a nationally-representative study of Americans’ attitudes about fatness and size discrimination. Stoll will also discuss strategies for combatting fatphobia and body shaming. In a society steeped in fat-shaming, “overweight” and “obese” women are expected to apologize for taking up both metaphorical and literal space, says Stoll, who is also a UWL associate professor of sociology. At the same time, body positivity has become a buzzword in a misogynistic culture where “health” is continually equated with “thinness,” and size discrimination and weight bias have been documented at the macro- and micro-level, she adds.