Portland State University on Wednesday announced it was awarding a $4,100 “Arlene Schnitzer Visual Arts Prize” to Michelle Jackson, a student who identifies as “queer, neurodivergent, and fat as f–k.”
According to the university’s press release, “She uses vibrant and bold colors to craft figurative works on the topics of fat liberation, LGBTQIA+ identities, mental health, neurodivergence, and silliness.” Jackson calls her paintings “a joyful rebellion.”
“The highest award offered in the school, the prize acknowledges the achievement and promise of our students and is a meaningful expression of our values and commitment to excellence in higher education and the arts,” the release continues.
However, it’s clear this award is more about promoting the Left’s fringe “fat liberation” agenda than celebrating genuine artistic talent.
The “fat liberation movement,” which is championed by leftist celebrities, academics, and activists, aims to normalize unhealthy lifestyles and promote a resigned attitude towards weight and health.
Portland State is far from the only academic institution promoting this destructive ideology. As Young America’s Foundation’s New Guard previously exposed, Pennsylvania State University hired a graphic design professor to “emphasize fatness” in the classroom, and Southern Oregon University offers a course that examines “the intersection of fatness and disability and how they put black people at a greater risk for police violence.”
