Virgie Tovar is a legendary fat positive writer who has been preaching the gospel of body acceptance for years. This season, she’s holding a Fat Positive Summer Fest in partnership with the Berkeley Public Library that consists of three events. The first has already passed, but the second takes place at the library’s Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch (1901 Russell St.) from 7–9 p.m. on June 30, and will be a Fat Positive Shorts mini film festival. The second is called “Freedom from Fat Shame!” and will take place at the library’s North branch (1170 The Alameda) on July 2 from 7–9 p.m. The event will feature readings, discussion, and personal stories from Casey Gilly, Jezebel Delilah X, Baruch Porras-Hernandez, Irene McCalphin, and Dr. Kjerstin Gruys. And, due to popular demand, Tovar is doing an encore of the lecture she presented at the beginning of the fest: “Lose Hate not Weight.” The talk is an illuminating investigation into the history and sociopolitical realities of our cultural obsession with weight loss and will take place at the library’s North branch on July 6 from 6:30–8 p.m.
