New York City now has a new protected group of people after Mayor Eric Adams’ decision to sign a controversial anti-discrimination law.
According to the measure, which takes effect Nov. 2, employers and landlords in the city cannot discriminate against someone because of their height or weight for jobs or housing.
That means fat people have been added to the list of protected classes already on the books, such as race, sex, and religion.
"I'm a person that believes in health, so when you talk about not discriminating against someone because of their body type, it's not fighting against obesity; it's just being fair," Adams said.
"So I think this is the right thing to do," the Democrat continued. "We're going to continue to talk about our progressive health agenda. Science has shown body type is not a connection to if you're healthy or unhealthy, and I think that's a misnomer we are really dispelling."
Weight and height complaints will now be addressed by the city’s Commission on Human Rights.
Critics, such as GOP New York City Council minority leader Joseph Borelli, have argued lawyers will have a field day over the new law, as people will be able to “sue anyone and everything.”
“I'm overweight, but I'm not a victim," Borelli reportedly said. "No one should feel bad for me except my struggling shirt buttons."
The New York Post’s editorial board called the legislation a “fat gift to NYC’s bottom-feeding legal sharks.”
New York City is in the midst of a financial crisis, a migrant crisis and an education crisis.
And the best our council can do is figure out one more way to stuff money into the pockets of professional grievance-chasers and shady consulting firms offering sensitivity trainings?
Predictably, the height-and-weight bill’s sponsor, Shaun Abreu (D-Manhattan), framed it as a move to raise awareness and change “the culture in how we think about weight.”
Sounds nice.
But cultural change, last we checked, does not lie within the council’s mandate.
And even Abreu knows the whole thing is bunk: The bill has loopholes for when height and weight actually matter on the job — as for firefighters, cops and other work requiring physical prowess as much as mental acuity. (New York Post)
Meanwhile, The Partnership of New York City's Kathy Wylde said the law’s cost and impact hasn’t been fully assessed.
“Testimony at the hearing talked about the problems overweight people face sitting in restaurant and theater seats, bikes having a weight limit, taxicabs requiring seat belt extenders. All of these things could be considered discrimination under this bill and require costly modifications to avoid fines and lawsuitsm,” she said in a statement.