COLUMBUS, Ohio — Four babes with big dreams.
That's how the Fat Babes Club of Columbus describe themselves amid a recent spike in internet glory.
The group was recently featured on Today, igniting praise from fellow women and body positive groups. But despite new-found attention, the Fat Babes Club of Columbus just wants to be your friend.
The group formed about 10 weeks ago with founders Krystal, Jae, Hannah and Elizabeth.
"We came together over being obsessed with having a fat positive pool party," the group told WKYC via email.
The idea was to form a public social club for people with marginalized bodies. But it's more than just a group of women lounging by the pool in bikinis. Fat Babes Club of Columbus also aims to provide resources and community to women of all sizes, gender identities and abilities.
The group meets as often as it can, and it's not just by the pool. They have social gatherings at different Columbus spots that are open to all.
"We're busy, working gals who meet whenever we can," the group said. "We love to hang just as much as we love to plan our FBCC community events! We hang out everywhere! We get in where we fit in! We love to chat over delicious local snacks and drinks all over Columbus."
Anyone can join, hang out or interact with the Fat Babes Club of Columbus. The only standard is a body and fat positive frame of mind.
Since its birth two months ago, the group's Instagram page collected about 500 followers in a 24-span. Now, the group has 3,770 followers on Instagram and 1,347 on Facebook.
Fat Babes Club of Columbus isn't the only group of its kind. Similar groups have already established in other cities, such as Yinz BoPo in Pittsburgh and Chub Scouts, a national group with regional divisions.
Support has been solid for the Fat Babes Club of Columbus, and the group's founders say negative feedback has been minimum. Regardless of any naysayers or shamers, the group will continue its focus on its members.
"We deal with it by relying on and supporting each other, being each other's biggest fans and cheerleaders," the group said.
The Fat Babes Club of Columbus is hosting its next Body Positive Pool Party Aug. 10.
