When I was 15, I read a a book about what was dubbed as “girl culture”. It was a very important time for me–riot grrrl had just reared it’s head and I was off and running. One of the interviews in that book was with a woman named Nomy Lamm.
Nomy blew my adolescent mind. She wrote a fat-positive zine called “I’m so fucking beautiful” and the very idea of body acceptance was something that I was forced to confront. When you are a female teen, feeling good about your body and voicing that feeling is both unusual and eyebrow raising. I don’t know that I ever ended up feeling comfortable with my body, but Nomy showed me that it was something worth working towards.
Fast forward to now, and Nomy’s much more than an activist zine writer (which, by the way, is more than enough!). She’s transformed herself into a pop star of sorts, writing music and performing, as well as composing for performances, and also had a column at Punk Planet. She was recognized as one of Ms’ magazine’s Women of the Year, gives lectures on college and university campuses, and puts together “Phat Camp” workshops.
Nomy describes herself as “fat-ass bad-ass Jew dyke amputee”. I bow down, and just call her amazing.
Nomy’s website, which is loaded with her projects and a blog: www.nomylamm.com
