Quote by Roxane Gay: “To be fat is to be undesirable, to be fat is to be repulsive.”

This quote powerfully articulates the deeply internalized societal judgments and prejudices faced by fat individuals. It means experiencing a constant barrage of negative perceptions that often lead to feelings of self-loathing, highlighting the cruel realities of body shaming and marginalization.

Released during increasing public conversations around body positivity and self-acceptance, Gay's memoir offered a starkly honest and unflinching account of living in a fat body and the pervasive trauma of societal gaze.

American writer, editor, and cultural critic known for her essay collections Bad Feminist and Hunger, a memoir examining her body, trauma, and identity. Her work challenges readers to hold complex, contradictory truths about culture and selfhood.