"No One Wins From The Politics of Desire" - Da'Shaun Harrison's Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness

In this episode we speak with Da’Shaun Harrison. Da’Shaun is a Black trans writer, abolitionist, and community organizer. Da’Shaun serves as Managing Editor for Wear Your Voice Magazine.

In this conversation we speak with Da’Shaun about their recently published book Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness.

We talk to Da’Shaun about their analysis of how the logic of anti-fatness works in relation to anti-blackness. This includes a discussion of Da’Shaun’s perspectives on “pretty privilege” and desirability politics. They also talk about the relationship between anti-blackness anti-fatness and sexual violence and abuse.

Da’Shaun touches on the lack of analysis that exists related to the particular relationship police violence and state violence have to the overlapping identities of Fat, Black and poor.

Josh and Da’Shaun discuss the necessity of applying the abolitionist lens to gender politics. And we speak to Da’Shaun about the influence of afro-pessimism in their work.

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