NOLOSE is an annual conference for fat dykes that takes place in the United States. I went to the conference in 2004, and was invited back in 2005 as the keynote speaker.

In America the pool party is a central feature amongst gatherings of fat activists. This is because: many people pick on us when we expose our flesh in public, so we take any opportunity we can to swim and wear skimpy clothes when there's no fear of an abusive put-down; a lot of us like looking at semi-naked fat people; swimming feels good. Pool parties are also a bit swinger-y (conventions are like second homes for swingers and would-be swingers, and fat queers are a substantial part of that venn diagram too). One more thing: there is no other place on earth where you will see a hotel swimming pool filled with nothing but unapologetic fat dykes

The NOLOSE pool sessions usually take place late at night when all the other non-conference hotel guests are out of the way. They start like this: one or two women enter the pool and bob around, maybe smooch a little bit. Then some of their friends turn up, and then a few more. There's music, and rowdy women. Maybe someone doesn't have a swimsuit. Maybe some show-off wants to dive in and maybe they'll organise a line of synchronised dive-bombing. Maybe the hot tub will overspill. Perhaps someone will make an entrance in a fabulous poolside outfit, complete with diaphanous kaftan and high heels. There'll probably be several games of beachball going on simultaneously as well as a whole load of flirting. And nobody takes pictures because everyone is there, busily participating rather than watching from afar. The sound of people yakking and laughing bounces around the room and it's very late when the last woman leaves.

I'm telling you this so you know that this reality exists somewhere in the world.

My friend Susan Stinson wrote a piece that may or may not have been inspired by a NOLOSE pool party. Perhaps you could drop her a line and ask her to share it with you.

Photo courtesy of the Padded Lillies