New York City outlaws discrimination on the basis of weight, height

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed legislation on Friday outlawing height discrimination by adding weight and height to the list of protected categories such as race, gender and religion.

“We all deserve equal access to employment, housing and public accommodation, regardless of our looks, and it shouldn’t matter how tall or heavy we are,” said the mayor, who also joined Fat-Assumption advocates among other elected officials at a ceremonial signing of the draft law in the town hall.

Adams, a Democrat who published a book about curing his diabetes with a plant-based diet, said the regulation “will help level the playing field for all New Yorkers, create more inclusive work and living environments, and protect against discrimination.” “

Exceptions under the ordinance the city council passed this month include cases where a person’s height or weight could prevent them from performing essential functions of a job.

Some business leaders voiced opposition to the legislation when it was brought to Council, arguing that compliance could become a onerous burden.

“The magnitude of the impact and cost of this legislation has not been fully considered,” Kathy Wylde, the partnership’s president and CEO for New York City, said in a statement.

Several other US cities have outlawed weight and appearance discrimination, including San Francisco, Washington, DC and Madison, Wisconsin. And in states like New Jersey and Massachusetts, laws prohibiting weight and size discrimination have been introduced.

Tigress Osborn, chair of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, said the City of New York’s weight discrimination ban should serve as a model for the nation and the world.

Osborn said the city’s passage of the new ordinance will “have a global impact” and show that “discriminating against people based on their height is wrong and is something we can change.”

The regulation comes into effect in 180 days, on November 22nd.