NYC Council Passes Bill Banning Weight Discrimination

The New York City Council has passed a bill to ban weight and height discrimination, making it the largest municipality in the US to ban anti-fat bias. The legislation will make perceived and actual weight and height discrimination illegal in employment, public accommodations, and housing. The move was spearheaded by Democratic Councilmember Shaun Abreu, who said he was alerted to the need for “changing culture” around weight after he gained 40 pounds during lockdown. Studies show that at least 42% of US adults say they have faced some kind of sizism, or discrimination based on their size.