Education

Yale Honors Fatphobia ‘Expert’ As Prestigious Journalism Fellow

No featured image available

A self-described “leading expert” in “fat discrimination” will speak at Yale University Thursday as a prestigious journalism fellow.

Author and activist Virgie Tovar will give a lecture entitled “Diet Culture, Fatphobia & the New Sexism” at the Ivy League school, according to Yale News. The school selected Tovar as a Poynter Fellow in Journalism, a program that pledges to bring to campus “distinguished reporters, editors and others who have made important contributions to the media.”

Tovar’s accomplishments include founding Babecamp, an online course assisting women who want to “‘break up’ with diet culture,” starting the #LoseHateNotWeight hashtag campaign, and editing “Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love & Fashion.”

She also has a CBS radio show and BuzzFeed bylines on “plus-size style” articles under her belt.

The journalism fellow has a master’s degree in sexuality studies with a concentration on the ways in which body size, gender, and race intersect.

The Daily Caller News Foundation reached out to Yale, Tovar, as well as former Yale president and well-being expert Nicholas Christakis for comment but received none in time for press.

Follow Rob Shimshock on Twitter

Connect with Rob Shimshock on Facebook

Send tips to [email protected].