If you’re a gainer or encourager, you know that our bodies are built for play. Bouncing a big belly, seeing how much or how quickly you can eat, or even getting into a little competition – all of these are forms of play you may have read about, witnessed or (hopefully) experienced yourself. Many of us are also no strangers to role play, foreplay, and even athleticism, though our relationship with them may change, or have changed, over time.

Sometimes play can be quite serious, though. Fat bodies don’t tend to be perceived as “playing by the rules,” and it’s all fun and games until someone decides to be a spoilsport about it. Sometimes play is a gamble, a game with stakes that feel quite hefty indeed, especially if it involves playing a part out of step with your identity. For some, no risk means no reward – put otherwise, no pain, no gain. For others, performance anxiety is an insurmountable hurdle, or the experience of playing produces such feelings of discomfort that you can’t help but ragequit.

For our second issue, we seek art and writing about fun, games, and play. When and where are you at your most playful, as a gainer or encourager? How do you use your queerness or your size to play with preconceived notions of gender and sexuality? We’re also interested in work relating to the following concepts:

Interested in Submitting Work?