We Wouldn’t Be Here Today Without Them
Dagan VanDemark
Former Program and Policy Coordinator
Dagan is a genderqueer trans person who battled bulimia/EDNOS for fifteen years. They have a B.A. in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies and a certificate in grant writing; a deep love for building community interdependence and grassroots power, and three neurotic dogs. They are staunchly dedicated to an active, dynamic and nuanced practice of intersectional/transnational feminism, body and sex positivity, prison abolition, anti-capitalism & anti-racism. They are incredibly grateful for the insightful, resilient, committed, strong and beautiful colleagues who helped make FEDUP's formation, work and increasing impact possible.
Jaden Fields
Former Support Group Facilitator
Jaden is a transgender activist and poet. He studied at USC, focusing on PTSD in survivors of sexual trauma. He got involved with FEDUP because of the focus on providing support to trans* folx struggling with disordered eating and helping ED professionals have a more intersectional approach to treatment so that their services are more accessible.
Lilac Maldonado
Former Logistics Coordinator
Lilac Maldonado is a an organizer and activist who identifies as a queer, genderqueer, disabled, Latin@ femme. They have been actively organizing around LGBTQ and feminist issues such as marriage equality, reproductive justice, and trans rights since 2011. They began their work as an eating disorder and body positivity advocate when they discovered, after an extended period of denial due to a lack of intersectional visibility in the ED world, that they themselves had an ED. Since then they have served as a core collective member and logistics coordinator for FEDUP. They hope that their work will help other complexly identified non-binary people who are living with EDs by providing visibility and starting a dialogue between the ED world and the trans community.
Gloria Lucas
Gloria is a body image activist who has been inspired by indigenous political struggles and the DIY punk movement. Having experienced eating disorders as a person of color she was inspired to start Nalgona Positivity Pride (NPP) as a way to understand eating disorders as an intersectional issue that connects to historical & modern day systems of oppression. NPP is multifaceted Xican@/Brown*/Indigenous body positivity project that focuses on raising eating disorder awareness in communities of color and spreading a decolonized multi-ethnic body positive message. Currently, Gloria is in process of starting one of the very first eating disorders support group for people of color in the Los Angeles area and is also creating more body positive tshirts designs for her Etsy NPP store.
Romeo Romero
Former Support Group Facilitator
Romeo Romero is a nonbinary/genderfluid queer, a mixed race Boricua Jew, an educator/organizer/poet, and a person healing from EDNOS and orthorexia for 13 years. They are from Washington State, but now makes their home in Western Massachusetts. Romeo holds a Masters degree in social justice education and works in a youth-led, school-based restorative justice program. Their personal experience as a trans person of color and survivor of childhood sexual abuse led them to believe deeply that eating disorders are inextricably linked to coping with trauma and oppression. They also believe that healing cannot happen in isolation, which is one reason they chose to get involved with FEDUP. Their own approach to healing is informed by HAES, intuitive eating, fat liberation, and harm reduction.
Kian Rank (they/he)
Kian Rank is a trans/Jewish/queer mental health advocate, poet, and soon-to-be therapist. They are currently receiving their masters degree in Counseling & Psychological Services at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Kian is a survivor of Anorexia and Orthorexia and believes recovery from an eating disorder is possible. His therapeutic work is influenced by anti-diet principles, intersectionality, and queer liberation. Along with supporting FEDUP, Kian serves as a virtual meal support provider. They also have experience in ED recovery mentoring and chemical dependency treatment. They live in Minneapolis with their two cats, twenty house plants, and pantry full of fun snacks.
Hayden Kapalka (he/him)
Hayden is a trans nonbinary person dedicated to supporting those in recovery. He is a certified eating disorder recovery coach with a practice rooted in harm-reduction, somatic healing, and social justice. In his downtime, Hayden enjoys hiking, video games, and practicing Krav Maga.
Ethan Lopez (they/he)
Ethan is a nonbinary queer trans activist from Southern California. They are a founding member of FEDUP Collective and remained involved from 2014 through 2022. Ethan graduated from Riverside City College with an Associates in Social Science and received a Bachelors of Arts from San Diego State University with a major in LGBTQ+ Studies and minor in counseling. Ethan has a long track record of involvement with trans activism, is a community research partner for Harvard STRIPED’s BRIGHT study, and has co-authored several papers exploring the link between eating disorders and gender affirming care. In his spare time, Ethan creates art and attends conferences.
Scout Silverstein (they/them), MPH
Scout was an active member of FEDUP from April 2018 through June 2023. In their time at FEDUP, they incubated many projects and programs including the Dietitian Match Program, research with Harvard STRIPED Lab, our Treatment Scorecard, staff development trainings, and the 2023 From Theory to Practice Conference. They are deeply committed to radically improving care for those with underrepresented identities in the eating disorder space. You can find them working with Equip Health, touring conferences & private practices offering trainings on clinical approaches at the intersection of eating disorders and gender identity, and developing tools for working with family members. You can follow their publications, offerings, and get connected to opportunities for advocacy in the realm of intersex justice on their forthcoming website.
Scout Barbour-Evans (they/them)
Scout is a takatāpui and non-binary youth worker who's family comes from Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa, England and Canada. They're based in Aotearoa New Zealand where they are a single Pāpā to their child. They hold a Certificate in Human Services specialising in Mental Health and Addiction Support and a Bachelor of Leadership for Change where they studied Transgender Pregnancy. Scout has an interest in kaupapa Māori health models and holistic mental health support.
Sydney Friedman (they/he)
Sydney is a Brooklyn based film editor with a focus on social justice and environmental justice. They have spent a decade pursuing and developing their craft and passion for filmmaking and storytelling. Sydney’s credits include films premiering at Sundance Film Festival, HOT DOCS, AFI DOC Festival, and streaming on HBO, Peacock, and Amazon. Sydney is also very passionate about advocating for the visibility of the LGBTQ community and illuminating the injustices in the US food and mental health systems. They also farm, enjoy playing and coaching Ultimate Frisbee competitively, rock climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities.