"Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body" by Roxane Gay, Presented by Mary Schmelter and Megan Vergara
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Kimberlé Crenshaw coins term "intersectionality"
In her essay "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color," Black feminist scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw coins the term intersectionality to describe how the marginalizations of race and gender intersect to affect women of color's experiences of oppression and violence. -
Anita Hill testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her
Anita Hill testified before the committee on the sexual harassment that occurred when Thomas oversaw her work at the Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Thomas and Senate members took many advances in an attempt to discredit Anita Hill. Thomas was still confirmed 52-48. -
Gay gets her first tattoo
The first of many, Gay began getting tattoos in an effort to reclaim her body as her own, and to feel it in a way she rarely does. Marking her skin is part of constructing her fortress. Her first tattoo is of a woman with wings, representing "a woman who can escape anything she wants, even her body," (Gay, 183). -
Gay comes out to parents over telephone
There isn't a clear date given as to when she came out to her parents, but it led to a deep reflection on her part on how she performed her queerness in an effort to keep herself safe from men -
LGBT History Month was founded
LGBT History Month celebrates the achievements of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender communities. Rodney Wilson and others chose October to celebrate it since it was when public schools were in session, as well as Coming Out Day on the 11th. -
Non-profit The Body Positive founded
Founded by Connie Sobczak and Elizabeth Scott, and was created to promote freedom from societal standards about what bodies are supposed to look like -
Sexual Assault Awareness Month was founded
Raised awareness and prevention measure about sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. "It's impossible to prevent an issue no one knows about, and it's difficult to make people aware of a problem without providing a solution." -
"Me Too" coined by Tarana Burke
Black feminist Tarana Burke coined the phrase of "me too" as a way for survivors of sexual violence to speak about what had happened to them, being a survivor herself. With the term recently gaining traction quite rapidly, Burke's work was erased by prominent white feminists, such as Alyssa Milano, who failed to acknowledge the movement's origins. -
Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was signed into law
Passed by Barack Obama, helping with Michelle Obama and her platform for helping school lunches. It was a major step towards ending childhood hunger, improving nutrition, and combatting obesity. -
"North Country" was chosen for "The Best American Short Stories 2012"
This was important to Gay because she enjoying reading every year's choices, and would later choose the 20 short stories in 2018. She believes that these short stories should be a good representation of currents events, which she kept in mind for 2018. -
Gay joins Blue Apron
Blue Apron is a subscription service that delivers proportioned ingredients and recipes for meals. It is one of the many programs that focus on obesity. -
"An Untamed State" is published
The protagonist, Mireille Duval Jameson, is a girl broken by her kidnapping. She resembles Gay in many ways. -
"Bad Feminist" is published
Gay's quintessential novel is published, and becomes a New York Times bestseller, being made up of a series of essays that reflect on how feminism shapes her life. During her book tour, she experienced fatphobia and lack of accomodations during traveling and events -
Gay breaks her ankle
Gay breaks her ankle upon falling at her home, alone. She recalls the fear that this situation brought, particularly in how she would be viewed by those that had to help her. Upon breaking her ankle, Gay realized how loved she was by those around her, as well as how much her presence mattered to them. She also realized that part of her healing was to be found in taking care of her body. -
People v. Turner
The case of Brock Turner and his rape against Chanel Miller. It received much controversy because of the sentence given to Turner. "Only 230 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to police. That means about 3 out of 4 go unreported." [https://www.rainn.org/statistics/criminal-justice-system] -
Gay has sleeve gastrectomy at UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital
This was a major decision made my Gay in regards to her body and health. At the beginning of Hunger, she talks about all of the negative consequences that arise from these weight-loss surgeries, like nutrient-deprivation, hair loss, not being able to eat or drink within one hour of the other, and other terrible consequences. Gay discusses this in examining how she and other fat folks are treated as if their bodies are their biggest problems. -
Gay partners with Medium to publish Unruly Bodies
This month-long pop-up magazine featured an anthology of 25 writers discussing their unruly bodies, creating a space for folks to discuss their relationships with their bodies, as well as their unruliness in not fitting into society's standards of thinness and able-bodiedness. Gay was included among these writers, revealing that she had undergone a sleeve gastrectomy in January. -
Gay wins prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship
The Guggenheim Fellowship awards approximately 175 scholars annually, encouraging them to engage in research or study of the arts, and allows for complete fluidity and creativity. -
"Not That Bad" published
Edited by Gay, this anthology consists of essays on living in a world with a rape culture. The title signifies Gay's and others' experiences of diminishing their traumas as a coping mechanism, though it does more harm than good. -
Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford testifies that Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her
Dr. Blasey-Ford revealed her identity in a Washington Post article after penning a letter revealing what had happened to Senator Dianne Feinstein in July and keeping her identity a secret. She later testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her in college at a party. She has since been met with death threats and other threats of violence, and has had to move multiple times. -
Brett Kavanaugh sworn into SCOTUS
Despite multiple allegations of sexual assault against him, Kavanaugh is still sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice. This is demonstrative of a larger system at hand, one that denies victims of sexual assault legal justice and discourages them from coming forward about their traumas, like what happened to Roxane Gay. -
Gay Magazine started with Medium
Gay is the editor of this magazine, which still features the Unruly Bodies anthology from April 2018. -
Victoria's Secret Annual Fashion Show is Cancelled
Victoria's Secret's controversial annual fashion show has been cancelled, due to lack of inclusivity with trans and fat models on the runway. This lack of inclusivity is especially glaring with Fenty, a competitor brand of lingerie started by Rihanna, including a diverse range of models for their lingerie.Victoria's Secret also had ties to Jeffrey Epstein. -
Gay is interviewed for The Advocate's interview series, LGBTQ&A
During this interview, Gay talks about sex, love, and soul mates. She explains that obese people have a right to their own sexuality, how she chooses not to write about love because of her to privacy, and about how it's possible to have multiple soulmates. -
50th Year Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and Pride Month
The Stonewall Riots that occurred 50 years ago marks the start of Pride Month, which recognizes the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have had on history. -
"Know My Name: A Memoir" was published by Chanel Miller
By writing this memoir about her rape and the aftermath, she feels that she is slowly gaining back her identity while being able to share her side of the story. -
Discussion Questions
How do the intersections of being Black, a woman, queer, and fat affect and shape Roxane Gay’s life and experiences?
Why is approaching oppression with intersectional analysis essential?
What steps can be taken towards a society more inclusive of bodies that exist outside of thinness and able-bodiedness?
What other occurrences and events have perpetuated/reinforced rape culture as a result of heteropatriarchy? What steps need to be taken to dismantle this?
