Mayor of New York City Eric Adams signed legislation on Friday that forbids body size discrimination by including weight and height on the list of protected classes, along with race, sex, and religion. “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,” said the mayor, who joined other elected officials as well as fat-acceptance advocates at a City Hall bill-signing ceremony. 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.”
The ordinance against discrimination will go into force on November 22 after 180 days
Exemptions from the legislation, which the city council approved last month, include situations in which a person’s height or weight could make it impossible for them to fulfill crucial work duties. When the legislation was being considered by the council, some business leaders voiced their disapproval, claiming that compliance could become an onerous cost. “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.
Other American cities, such as San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Madison, Wisconsin, have outlawed discrimination based on physical characteristics including weight and looks. Additionally, legislation to outlaw height and weight discrimination has been presented in places like Massachusetts and New Jersey. The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance’s chair, Tigress Osborn, stated that the country and the world should follow New York City’s lead and outlaw weight discrimination. It will demonstrate that “discrimination against people based on their body size is wrong and is something that we can change,” according to Osborn, who claimed that the city’s passage of the new policy “will ripple across the globe.” The ordinance will go into force on November 22 after 180 days.