In a world where most magazines idealize the slim and trim, GG dares to celebrate the beauty of being big. The first issue of the local, bi-monthly publication rolled off the presses last November.
Publisher Mary Ann Miyashiro, who describes herself as "large" but not "overweight," said she started the magazine because she got tired of being criticized and put down because of her size. Doing her part to combat discrimination, she doesn't want to see her vital statistics or anyone else's in print because such figures do not reveal the person.
"I was constantly told things like 'You could be so much more successful. You would be so much prettier if you lost 5 or 10 pounds. You'll never be a CEO. You'll never be promoted because of your weight.'
"I've been in marketing positions where image is a big thing. They don't want you in front of a camera or speaking to the public if you're large.
"But I'm happy the way I am. If you don't like it, don't look at me. But look what I can do. I have a degree in computer science, history and literature. I can write. I can teach. Look at my qualifications."
GG's stories revel in the accomplishments of large subjects who, she said, "overcame the harassment and negative comments."
Featured on GG's pages have been 27th President "Big Bill Taft," local entertainer Karen Keawehawai'i -- who is now a GG columnist -- and even the romantic poet Lord Byron, who was "always inclined to fleshiness."
Perhaps as a result, Byron developed a lifelong appreciation of voluptuous and "uncomplicated" women, referring to their skinny cousins as "dried butterflies."
Ouch!
But GG doesn't intend to pump big people up by dissing their less-ample cousins. Miyashiro said she wants the magazine to be inspirational.
Keawehawai'i, for instance, found success as a performer by persevering in spite of having been told by a voice teacher, "You're wasting my time."
Miyashiro said, "I want to tell people to go for it. Don't sit back. You may think you're the only one who suffers degradation, but no, you're not. This is a way to get over it and accept yourself. Get past the criticism because, for the longest time, I made (weight) my problem. Then I finally realized, it's not my problem."
There are reasons thin is perceived as better from a health perspective. Those who are overweight -- 15 percent of Hawaii residents, according to Miyashiro's research -- are prime candidates for diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
But not everyone who is big is overweight. As the January-February issue of Genteel Giant points out, "Not all bodies are made to be thin." As for the GG name, Miyashiro said it came about after much agonizing. She and her husband, friends and collaborators kept thinking of names containing "heart" or initials "BBB," for "big, beautiful and brassy." They were afraid jokers might peg them "big, bitchy and brassy."
Finally, the name came to Miyashiro in a dream. In the dream, she had just finished interviewing Keawehawai'i, and the entertainer asked about the name of the magazine. Somehow, Miyashiro confidently replied, "Genteel Giant," and it stuck.
Having started her project on a slim budget, Miyashiro continues to work at Hawaii Hochi as a full-time paste-up and graphics artist. She's been with the company for seven years.
She does the GG editorial work out of her Ewa Beach home. Her husband Steven is the magazine's sole account executive. They have yet to see a pay day at GG.
But that hasn't stopped Miyashiro from continuing to dream. She's set her sights on celebrities such as Drew Carrey, Rosie O'Donnell and Delta Burke as potential interview subjects.
"I've heard from Delta Burke's manager and she's really interested," Miyashiro said. "I'm hoping it'll take off gang-busters."
Genteel Giant sells for $2.50 at Borders Books and Records, in Brookshire Groceries in Tyler, Texas -- where her sister Linda Garza handles distribution -- and is carried in every room at the Turtle Bay Hilton and Holiday Inn Airport-Oahu.
Karen Keawehawai'i autographs
the new magazine Genteel Giant
Time: 1-2 p.m. April 13