New York City has passed a new bill making it illegal to discriminate against people based on their height and weight. It protects them from discrimination when they are applying for housing, jobs, and public accommodations.
The proposed legislation, which has been supported by weight activists, will be signed into law by Mayor Eric Adams later this month. Some Republicans are warning that the new bill will allow people to “sue anyone and everything.”
The bill would add weight and height protections to the city’s human rights laws which ban discrimination based on ethnicity, marital status, age, disability, and a variety of other characteristics.
Silent Burden
Councilman Shaun Abreu is the main sponsor of the bill. He came up with the legislation after dealing with the hardships of being overweight firsthand.
He experienced discrimination after gaining 40 lbs. during the COVID lockdowns. He described his experience as a “silent burden”.
He discussed victims of this type of discrimination saying, “They’re being discriminated against with no recourse and society saying that’s perfectly fine.”
About the Bill
The bill was passed in the city council with a vote of 44-5. Once it goes into effect, it will make New York the sixth city with a weight discrimination law. Other cities with similar laws include Santa Cruz and San Francisco, CA, Washington, D.C., Madison, WI, and Urbana, Ill.
“Just like any other protected category, like race, gender, or age, this will be a new protected category and a claim that you can bring before the Commission on Human Rights,” Abreu stated.
Victoria Abraham, self-proclaimed Fat Fab Feminist, activist, and influencer supports the bill and testified at the city council to defend it. “In most places in the United States, you can get fired for being fat and having no protection at all, which is crazy because this is a very fat country,” she said.
The bill also has a provision defending employers who must take height and weight into account when making hiring decisions.
Opposition to the Bill
Republican New York City Council Minority Leader Joseph Borelli voted against the bill. He argued that it would allow people to “sue anyone and everything.”
He has been vocal about his opposition. He made a statement to the media suggesting that it was coddling overweight people and making them feel like victims for their own choices. “I’m overweight, but I’m not a victim. No one should feel bad for me except my struggling shirt buttons,” he said.