NOLOSE is your community.
"Both times I've come to NOLOSE in 2006 and 2008, it was with the support of scholarships. As a student and working artist, I wouldn't have been able to afford the costs of full participation, but without NOLOSE, I would literally be lost throughout the year else. There's no other event in the country where I'm so heartily embraced for my fierce, fat, queer, femme colored self, and that means so much to me!" said Naima Lowe, an exceptionally talented fat queer femme of color activist, filmmaker, NOLOSE conference attendee, and scholarship recipient.
Every year, 100% of NOLOSE's scholarship funding comes from you. Community-led fundraisers like the Fat Girl Flea help us bring many activists from all over the world to the nation's only conference dedicated to building a space for fat, queer, and trans folks to analyze, mobilize, organize, and celebrate. As an organization, NOLOSE is dedicated to building a movement, a voice, and a vibrant community of fierce fat folks and allies.
Scholarships are an integral part of ensuring that the most under-resourced in our community can take part in this beautiful, life-changing space.
This year, the NOLOSE board is committed to holding an even bigger (pun intended!) and more successful conference by providing an increased amount of financial aid to our attendees. We may be small in numbers, but you, the community, have shown again and again just how dedicated you are. We believe in you and we want to give you this opportunity to continue in your partnership with NOLOSE and the fat queer & trans movement.
"As a super-sized, dis/abled person I deeply appreciated NOLOSE recognizing that I may be in a position to need extra financial help attending the conference. NOLOSE truly valued my presence as well as the contributions of other disproportionately affected peoples, and was willing to work to get us there," said another NOLOSE scholarship recipient.
Our scholarships prioritize funding for people who have historically been the most under-represented at NOLOSE and in the movement: people with financial need, trans and gender non-conforming folks, people with disabilities, people of color, people over 50, super fatties, and starting this year, international attendees. NOLOSE's dedication to diversity isn't just lip service; we walk the talk and believe that our movements can only succeed when they are led by those most affected by social injustices.
We ask you to help support your friends and peers by giving to the NOLOSE Scholarship Fund.
100% of your gift will go towards the Scholarship Fund, which will resource even more brilliant gorgeous activists' attendance at the next conference, which promises to be the best one yet!
Even if $5 or $10 is all you can give, we urge you to consider making a
tax-deductible contribution via our
Facebook Cause page or our
Network for Good page. And, $10 a month can turn into $120 via monthly giving, which is a great way to stretch your dollar and show your continued support.
But whether or not you give (although we hope you will!), we on the NOLOSE board wanted to also take this opportunity to give thanks to all of you who make up the hearts, souls, brains, and bodies of the movement. We love you, and we can't wait to see you on the West Coast at the next conference!
Big fat love,
Cristy, Devra, Amanda, Geleni, Jen, Joe, Kim, Tara, Sondra, and Zoe
(Please repost! Apologies for cross-posts!)
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