Say No to Fat-Shaming: Why New York has banned discrimination on the basis of weight

New York City has made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of weight. Mayor Eric Adams, signing the legislation on Friday, said, “We all deserve the same access to employment, housing and public accommodation, regardless of our appearance, and it shouldn’t matter how tall you are or how much you weigh.” Adams, a Democrat who published a book about reversing his diabetes through a plant-based diet, said the ordinance “will help level the playing field for all New Yorkers, create more inclusive workplaces and living environments, and protect against discrimination.” But why has New York done so? And how does it work? Let’s take a closer look: Why has New York done so? To counter the stigma that overweight people face. The bill sponsor City Councilman Shaun Abreu said he personally experienced some of the discrimination that overweight people face after piling on 18 kilos during the lockdown. “They’re being discriminated against with no recourse and society saying that’s perfectly fine,” Abreu told BBC. “We want this bill to send a message to everybody that you matter, regardless of if you’re above or below average weight,” he added. “That’s why we pushed this.” According to BBC, studies have shown that the overweight particularly women face bias such as lower wages. CBS News quoted a study by Vanderbilt University as finding that overweight women earning Rs 433 less per hour. Supporters of the law said they faced prejudice from landlords, finding seating at restaurants and theatres. Speaking to CNN, veteran fitness instructor Jennifer Portnick recalled how she did not get her first job at Jazzercize in San Francisco two decades ago. “I was invited to go to tryouts where the regional manager is kind of behind you watching you dance. And after class she told me, you are going be fantastic,” Portnick told the outlet.

Then, she was asked to take a picture to be sent to corporate headquarters.

Portnick then got a letter saying “you have all the all the qualifications for a potential trainee except for the fitness level required… Consequently, a Jazzercize applicant must have a higher muscle to fat ratio and look leaner than the public.” Portnick eventually got Jazzercise to change their policy due to a law banning discrimination in housing and employment based on height and weight as well as the assistance of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission. The new ordinance will take effect on 22 November, as per ABC News. Exemptions under the ordinance, which the city council passed this month, include cases in which an individual’s height or weight could prevent them from performing essential functions of a job. New York Daily News quoted Abreu as calling the law a “monumental advancement for civil rights”. Abreu added that he hopes other lawmakers take notice. [caption id=“attachment_10107831” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] New York City Mayor Eric Adams. AP[/caption] “While our law are only now catching up to our culture, it is a victory that I hope will cause more cities, states and one day the federal government to follow suit,” he said. “No one should have to live with the silent burden of size discrimination.” “San Francisco is often a cultural lead in the country, and it’s really too bad that didn’t spread wider than it has. But I am super excited about New York City’s efforts. I would love to see it ripple out through the rest of the country as more of a standard than as a one-off,” Portnick told CNN. Tegan Lecheler, advocacy director for the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance, told BBC she hoped the law would “encourage a larger conversation of framing this beyond health”. “It’s not a health issue. It’s a civil rights issue,” she added. “This is really about if people are safe and protected and have the right to be in spaces.” Washington DC, Michigan and the state of Washington, have all made weight discrimination illegal, as per New York Daily News. And legislation to ban weight and height discrimination has been introduced in states including New Jersey and Massachusetts. ‘Onerous burden’ But some remain opposed to this new law. Business leaders expressed opposition to the legislation when it was before the council, arguing that compliance could become an onerous burden. “The extent of the impact and cost of this legislation has not been fully considered,” Kathy Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, said in a statement. “Testimony at the hearing talked about the problems overweight people face sitting in restaurant and theater seats, bikes having a weight limit, taxi cabs requiring seat belt extenders. All of these things could be considered discrimination under this bill and require costly modifications to avoid fines and lawsuits,” Wylde added, as per CNN. Republican Joseph Borelli, the minority leader of New York City council, told The New York Times he was afraid the law would let New Yorkers “sue anyone and everything”.

“I’m overweight but I’m not a victim,” Borelli added.  

No-one should feel bad for me except my struggling shirt buttons." But Tigress Osborn, the chair of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, said New York City’s weight discrimination ban should serve as a model for the nation and the world. Osborn said the city’s adoption of the new ordinance “will ripple across the globe” and show that “discrimination against people based on their body size is wrong and is something that we can change.” “We can’t legislate attitudes, but we can do everything that’s in our power to ensure that people are treated equally,” Osborn was quoted as saying by CBS News. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.