There’s a new target in the crosshairs: Ozempic.
At the recent Socialism 2026 conference in Chicago, which is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, an activist made a startling assertion. They labeled GLP-1 drugs as “fascist,” claiming these medications serve to “genocide fat people.”
Da’Shaun L. Harrison, an activist from Atlanta, stated, “The political deployment of GLP-1s is fascistic, not because individuals take them, but because the conditions under which they become necessary are shaped by a world fixated on genociding fat people.”
These drugs, including Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, originally designed for diabetes treatment, are credited with significantly reducing heart attack or stroke risks in high-risk patients. However, Harrison contended that they exist to uphold a social system that controls and punishes overweight individuals.
“Body fascism isn’t just a thing of the past; it’s an active part of our current imperial regimes,” Harrison criticized, showcasing their own body proudly on Instagram. “Each time a government decides which bodies to protect and which to erase for social norms, that’s body fascism at work.”
Harrison identifies as “ungendered” and is the author of a 2022 book titled “Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness.” They addressed the conference, which drew over 3,000 attendees nationwide.
Beatrice Adler-Bolton, another speaker on the panel titled “Health Fascism, Body Politics, and the Anti-State State,” echoed similar sentiments. “We have to let go of the idea that we can out-fitness fascists,” she said.
She asserted that in capitalism, fitness often dictates a person’s value and that the goal should not be to conform but to challenge the existing order. “It’s not about being fitter or more eugenic,” Adler-Bolton added.
Interestingly, she seemed to advocate for a sort of “dysgenic” society, suggesting that perhaps it’s better for society to embrace imperfection. “The more dysgenic, the better, I think,” she remarked, referring to the deterioration of genetic traits in populations.
Adler-Bolton has been active in socialist discussions and is pursuing a master’s in disability studies at CUNY. During her speech, she referred to disabled figures in resistance movements, implying that imperfection can indeed be a source of strength against power.
Experts noted that these extreme viewpoints reflect a broader agenda among some far-left groups, aiming to dismantle established cultural norms. Stu Smith, an investigative analyst, stated, “They seem consumed by discontent for anything resembling the norm, critiquing medical advancements as if they’re sinister plots.”
He pointed out the absurdity of viewing medical progress through a lens of extreme ideology, noting the irony of such claims. “I didn’t see this sparking such a big leftist divide, but here we are, with some claiming these views are somehow infiltrated by agents trying to undermine the movement,” he added.
Requests for comment from Harrison and Alder-Bolton went unanswered.
