Local woman launches movement for plus-size women

Local woman launches movement for plus-size women
By Amy Maginnis-Honey
January 29th, 2010

DAILY REPUBLIC

FAIRFIELD — It was no holds barred as Queenie TT made her debut recently before family and friends.

“She is hilarious,” said friend Stacy Dorsey. “When she's with people she's comfortable with, she will let it all hang.”

Queenie is a persona adopted by Kamane Malvo Marshall, a Fairfield resident who is the driving force and founder of the Plus-Sized Sister Movement, which includes comedy (Queenie TT), motivational talks and a fashion line waiting in the wings.

It was launched with a semi-autobiographical book penned by Marshall, “Praise be to the Plus Sized Sister,” which features stories of seven women facing challenges, decisions and self-esteem issues -- all while dealing with bias and differentiation because of their race, gender and size.

The book's front and back covers feature actual plus-size models.

Marshall started the Plus-Sized Sister Movement based on her experiences.

“I've lived at different sizes of plus,” she said.

Including that of a 215-pound pep squad member in high school.

She went on to work as a freelance writer, only to have her life interrupted by thyroid problems, which were treated with radiation, leaving her with lymphedema. The condition is an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the tissue between the cells of an organ, that causes swelling, most often in the limbs and occasionally in other parts of the body.

And, at one point, she was battling congestive heart failure.

Marshall, 34, had gained 200 pounds and has lost almost half. But, she still needs a cane to stabilize her legs due to the excess fluid. She has come to terms with her size and lymphedema.

“I've re-identified myself as a beautiful person,” she said. “I had a love affair with Kamane.”

It's humor like her love affair statement that she brings to Queenie TT, while making the rounds at various open mike nights.

“She's a whimsical figure,” Marshall said of Queenie.

Marshall's father, Carl Malvo, took on the emcee role at Queenie's invitation-only showcase recently at her parents' home.

“She is really daddy's baby girl,” he said in the introduction. “She's here to make you laugh and think.”

Her mother Sandra Malvo handled “security,” but that didn't stop one member of the audience from having fun by touching Queenie during her grand entrance.

“Security,” Queenie called out, amid the laughs.

She then told her audience they could be seated and quickly explained the meaning of TT. It means “tremendous tail,” Marshall said, bending over at the waist.

“I'm not ashamed of my plus size,” she said. “I'm calorically challenged. Some people do drugs, I do chicken wings.”

To stay happy, Marshall said she has a standing appointment every Sunday with Jesus and has God's word on an intravenous drip.

She poked fun at the female-centered dramas on the Lifetime channel.

“How can you get in so much trouble in 60 minutes?” she asked of some of the shows the channel airs.

Her advice. Turn it off.

“You've got to love yourself as you are,” Marshall said. “Be radical about it because the world is radical about tearing you down.”

Then, she pulled off her wig, replaced it with another and introduced herself as Queenie TT the second.

“Bam, just like that, a costume change,” she said, laughing.

The audience roared as she imitated the way singer Beyonce dances.

She joked how plus-size women are great at putting themselves down.

“You may have a big butt and a pretty face,” she said. “But the world still sees it as a big butt.”

Marshall talked about sewing two pieces of thong underwear together and her husband noting that she “rocked the heck of that anklet lingerie.”

She closed the showcase with her message: “I want you to love yourself just as you are. Self love cancels out hate.”

“You never know what she'll do next,” said Daryl Dorsey after the show, adding that removing her wig was especially funny.

“She's an awesome young woman,” said her mother.

“Taking off her hair. She's done that at my house,” said Dorsey's wife, Stacy Dorsey. “And, she's threatened to do it in public.”

Helping her launch Queenie TT and the Plus Size Sister Movement is her husband, Steven Marshall.

The couple met through Craigslist.

She put down 20 questions for prospects to answer. Marshall said she got about 100 responses and narrowed it down to five finalists.

“I read Steven's and he did everything perfectly,” she said of the questionnaire.

The two met for coffee and married nine months later. They celebrated their second wedding anniversary in December.

“I was looking for a woman I could love,” Steven Marshall said.

He's found her in the woman that now loves herself and wants others to do the same.

Reach Amy Maginnis-Honey at 427-6957 or amaginnis [at] dailyrepublic.net.

Queenie TT will be part of Pepperbellys open mike night, beginning 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays at 849 Texas St., Fairfield. Admission is free.

“Praise be to the Plus Sized Sister” can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com.

The Web site is http://www.praisebe2theplussizedsister.com.

Kamane Malvo Marshall, a.k.a. Queenie TT, plans to launch Kamane's Closet, fashions for sizes 1x to 6x, on eBay in January 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/user/kamanemarshall1