A Celebration of Fat Defiance: Recapping Fat Con 2026 With Mx. Pucks A’Plenty
Director of Programming at Fat Con Lori Collins (left) and Con Director Mx. Pucks A'Plenty stand at Fat Con 2026 at the Triple Door in Downtown Seattle. (Photo: Katelyn Scott)
In alignment with a growing demand for fat acceptance, Fat Con, the West Coast's largest fat convention, recently returned under the theme of “Fat Defiance” at The Triple Door in Downtown Seattle. The third-annual fat con stood as a necessary beacon of empowerment and resilience, actively pushing back against a society increasingly obsessed with weight loss.
Convention Director and Executive Producer Mx. Pucks A'Plenty reflected on the convention’s success, noting a 20-25% spike in attendance from 2025, a panel of impactful speakers, and valuable sponsors including the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) and the Association for Weight and Size Inclusive Medicine (AWSIM). Together, they created a safe and empowering space for the fat community.
A Needed Touchstone Against Diet Culture
Mx. Pucks A'Plenty said the convention felt more essential than ever in 2026 due to the pervasive nature of diet culture, especially the surge in popularity of GLP-1 injectable drugs like Ozempic.
"A lot of folks really needed a touchstone place that wasn't rooted in diet culture or rooted in... New Year's resolution to lose weight,” they said, stressing the event’s role as a haven for the fat community.
Confronting Moral Judgments
A core element of Fat Con’s mission this year was confronting the deep-seated societal biases that equate fatness with moral failure. Mx. Pucks A'Plenty spoke passionately about their experience as a member of the fat community.
"Being in a fat body, your body is like a moral failure,” they said, explaining that systemic discrimination is what truly harms fat people. “People think that they don't have to treat you like a human being."
The convention also sought to reclaim the language used to describe bodies. "Fat's not a dirty word. It's a descriptor," Mx. Pucks A'Plenty said. “When someone calls me fat, I don't find it to be an insult at all."
Speakers and Programming
Keynote speaker Ronald Young Jr., creator of the podcast “Weight For It,” and invited speaker and author of “Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman” Lindy West were among the special guests who contributed to this discussion, exploring what true body neutrality and fat liberation could look like.
Dispelling misconceptions, Mx. Pucks A'Plenty emphasized that Fat Con was a place for practical education and community. The programming included workshops on advocating for yourself in a medical environment, fat sensuality and sexuality, and fat accessibility for outdoor activities.
After a successful third year in Seattle, Fat Con continued its commitment to fostering a safe, joyful, and defiant space for the fat community in Seattle and across the world.
For those who missed the 2026 convention, you can view playbacks of the workshops at Fat Con LIVE! here until March 18th.
