NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A new law banning discrimination based on height and weight went into effect Sunday in New York City.
Mayor Eric Adams signed the legislation, which allows discrimination protection to include height and weight, alongside age, gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation, six months ago in May.
"No one should ever be discriminated against based on their height and weight,” Adams said in a statement released in May. “We all deserve the same access to employment, housing, and public accommodations, regardless of our appearance."
The law, Intro. 209-A, sponsored by Councilmember Shaun Abreu, also allows for height or weight considerations in employment only when legally necessary or for the essential requirements of a job, as stated by the Commission on Human Rights.
"It shouldn’t matter how tall you are or how much you weigh when you’re looking for a job, are out on the town, or trying to rent an apartment," Adams said. “This law will help level the playing field for all New Yorkers, create more inclusive workplaces and living environments, and protect against discrimination.”
During a city council hearing earlier this year, New Yorkers testified about the effects weight discrimination had on them, such as an instance where a student struggled with classroom desks and a Metropolitan Opera singer who experienced body shaming.
“Size discrimination is a social justice issue and a public health threat. People with different body types are denied access to job opportunities and equal wages — and they have had no legal recourse to contest it. Worse yet, millions are taught to hate their bodies,” Abreu said in the release.
A similar law is being considered in New Jersey and Massachusetts, while Michigan and Washington State have already enacted such bans.
The city’s Commission on Human Rights will investigate complaints of weight discrimination.