One would think we would be a protected class all over the U.S., but sadly, we are not, yet.
Did you know that NAAFA was created in 1969?
50 Years of Advocacy and Activism for all of us.
THANK YOU, NAAFA!
NAAFA – Laws About Weight Discrimiation
https://www.naafaonline.com/dev2/education/laws.html?
Taken from the NAAFA Website:
Laws in Place
- Michigan is the only State with law prohibiting discrimination against overweight people enacted in 1977. The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination practices based on 10 categories, including weight.
Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act
Cities
- Binghamton, NY: the municipal code on discrimination includes “weight or height” as protected categories.
Binghamton Human Rights Law - Madison, WI: the municipal code on discrimination includes “physical appearance” as protected categories.
Madison, WI Code of Ordinances - San Francisco, CA: the Human Rights Commission added “weight and height” to the municipal code to ensure that programs, services, and facilities would be accessible.
San Francisco Administrative Code
San Francisco Compliance Guidelines
San Francisco Contract Code
San Francisco Police Code - Santa Cruz, CA: the municipal code on discrimination includes “physical characteristics” as protected categories.
Santa Cruz Prohibition Against Discrimination - Urbana, IL: the municipal code on discrimination includes “personal appearance, weight or height” as protected categories.
Urbana, IL Code of Ordinances - Washington, DC: the Human Rights Law includes “personal appearance” in its protected categories.
Washington DC Human Rights Act
Washington DC Title 4
Legislation Awaiting Action
- Massachusetts has introduced House Bill HD 1683 – An Act making discrimination on the basis of height and weight unlawful in the 2019 legislative session.
House Bill HD 1683 – An Act making discrimination on the basis of height and weight unlawful.
If you are interested in working toward the inclusion of size or height/weight into your local anti-discrimination legislation, NAAFA has created a fact sheet to support you. Simply visit the Brochures, Tool Kits and Fact Sheets page to access the fact sheet, “Making a Case for Legislation to End Size Discrimination”, download, print and take it with you when you visit your Legislators.
More about NAAFA from their HOME page:
“Founded in 1969, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is a non-profit, all-volunteer, civil rights organization dedicated to protecting the rights and improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through advocacy, public education, and support.”
Care to donate to NAAFA so they can keep doing this fabulous work for all of us for another 50 years and beyond?
Here is a link to give directly to NAAFA : DONATION TO NAAFA
There is still so much for us to do so that fat rights are treated and considered to be HUMAN RIGHTS.
I so appreciate the legions of people who do this work every day to help us make some progress in fat rights and fat liberation.