RIP Heather MacAllister
Fat Girl Flea Market
wanted to pass the news along since you probably participated in the
Supergalore benefit for her in 2005.
Here's the obituary she and Leah worked on the other week. There are
many remembrances of Heather, this one being the most sober. However
you remember Heather, she will never be forgotten.
Details of memorial services across the country are here, please go
along if you can:
http://www.nolose.org/activism/heather_mac.php
http://www.bigburlesque.com/bioframe.html - here's Heather's bio from
Big Burlesque.
(reposted from Stacy Bias' journal)
Heather's last wish for you, what she wants for us all, is to love
each other, and to love ourselves. To take care of our minds and
bodies, without fail and against all odds. And to know, beyond doubt,
that we are all beautiful, amazing beings. Never forget. This is what
she lived for. Take care of yourselves, you beautiful beings.
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Here is the obituary sent to the New York Times. This is what Heather
and I wrote. Please understand that although the Times is what some
might call liberal, in many ways it is very conservative. We chose our
words very carefully.. Please feel free to radicalize it in that way
that Heather would really like it but if you want to get it published
gear it toward that publication.
Here is hoping the new york times publishes it! Heather thought it was
a fabulous idea.
Heather MacAllister died yesterday in Portland Oregon as a result of
Ovarian Cancer. She was 38 years old.
Ms. MacAllister was the founder and artistic director of Big Burlesque
and the Fat Bottom Revue, the first burlesque act exclusively
featuring large-sized performers. Tours included New York, San
Francisco, Canada, Los Angeles and various venues in the Midwest, east
and west coasts
Aside from her career in the performing arts, Ms. MacAllister had a
Degree in Anthropology and worked for many non-profit groups such as
Triange Foundation, Michigan's statewide civil rights organization for
the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population. She also
committed a great deal of time to Antiracism training.
Ms. MacAllister was also an advocate for the transgender population
and also for the rights of large-sized people. She helped to inspire
the anti-size discrimination law passed in San Francisco in June 2000.
One her proudest achievements was to help coordinate a summit that
included mainstream conservative Muslim and Arab organizations at the
same table as radical gay rights organizations in order to show and
share common cause in the civil rights offenses that occurred post
9/11. She also served on the board of Directors of Al-Fatiha the
nations only national organization for sexual minority Muslims.
In 2005 Leonard Nimoy photographed Ms. MacAllister and her dance
troupe for his exhibit "Maximum Beauty" which opened at the Bonni
Benrubi gallery on 57th street in New York City. http://
www.leonardnimoyphotography.com/7body.htm (if you look at the one
where they are clothed, Heather is on the right)
Ms. MacAllister is survived by her Grandmother Doris Simion and her
two sisters, Hope MacAllister and Holly Jones. Memorial services are
taking place in New York, San Francisco, Portland and Michigan