Thin privilege is feeling comfortable in a gym, like you are meant to be there. I never noticed until today how uncomfortable it is to be in the gym I’m a member of as a fat person (I’m a white, cis, able bodied, straight, woman). My sister wanted to join the gym for zumba classes, walking in though, I could tell she didn’t like it. And despite thinking about it she decided not to join because of the atmosphere and the ‘types’ of people in the gym.

I’m a member, but I don’t blame her for not joining. It took me a crap load of courage to join. It takes me courage to go in there and take a pilates class held by an extremely slim/fit woman who wants us all to be 'as slim and fit as possible’ (she musn’t know that fat people can do pilates and remain fat). It takes me courage to sweat all over the exercise bike while doing interval training, while smaller gym users watch my red and sweaty face gasp for air. I get watched. I get smiles and comments of 'encouragement’. Its like I’m the enemy, the unwanted, disgusting thing everyone else in there is trying to avoid.

People tell me to stop going. To just workout at home. But part of me learning to love my body is learning to love it in public. To wearing tight exercise clothes and sweating it up where people can see me. I want them to know that fat people do stuff, we are people that deserve a space in society, we deserve respect.

Thin privilege is being comfortable in a gym.