Should Fat People Be Protected Under Hate Crime Laws?
Hate crime laws protect people from being attacked or discriminated against based on a whole host of things, including age, race, ethnicity, religion and sexual identity. Should "being fat" be added to that ever growing list?
Some people in London seem to think so. They demonstrated outside the mayor's office on Sunday, demanding that laws be passed that protect overweight people from prejudice.
They are following the lead of San Francisco, where a law bans so called "fat-ism" in housing and employment. It also stops doctors from pressing patients to slim down.
San Francisco lawyer Sondra Solway told BBC News, "The San Francisco ordinance says you may want to mention weight to the patient but if the patient says they do not want to talk about that then you are asked to respect those wishes."
Back in London, members of the Size Acceptance Movement said they constantly face discrimination because of their waistlines. Kathryn Szrodecki said that in the UK fat people are stared at, pointed at, talked about and attacked. "I have been discriminated against - I am a YMCA qualified fitness instructor, but I have gone for jobs and been laughed off the premises."
Marsha Coupe said. "I have been punched, I have had beer thrown in my face, I have had people attack me on the train. They say 'Move out of the way fatty! Well person coming down the aisle!'"
Dr. Ian Campbell of the charity Weight Concern said even if a law were passed, he doubts it would have any immediate effect on the situation. "People who are very overweight do experience a lot of prejudice both in their social life and working life and do need some protection."
But there may not even be a need for such a law. A spokesman for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said size was already protected by the legislation if it were caused by a disability: "Potentially human rights legislation would also cover people by protecting their right to work."
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Where are these people living that they are being treated so bad for being over weight?I am a thick girl myself and have never been treated as such.I have never had a problem getting a man, a job ,or a seat.As i can recall i think i have only been called a fat ass or anything to that effect only a handful of times in my life and im a big girl,I mean i dont weigh 400 pounds but am well over what the dr says i should be.I really could not say that they should make such a law or not being that i have never in my life had to go through such meaness as a "fat" person.As for it being a choice for me it is not i have alot of hormone issues that i am working to get in check that stop me from loseing weight cause i eat healthy and was active before i injured my back and have to have surgery before i can be mobile again so no this is not a choice at least not for me.
I am a 29 year old fat woman. I have been fat all my life (as long as I can remember anyways). Mean and nasty people are just a truth, you are going to get stared at, pointed at, gawked at, criticized(?) and laughed at by people who are just ignorant to the fact that we are all made differently. Yes my weight is about 40% genetic and 60% cupcakes.. I am an emotional eater and throughout my school years food was my best friend.. That does not mean that I am lazy or unhealthy.. Growing up I was the healthiest one in my family and I was about 100 lbs overweight from middle school on thru school and weigh about 360 now.. Of course people stare at me when I'm at the grocery store and kids make comments about how fat I am.. I am fat. There is no reason to go crying to the government about people making fun of me, that is just so kindergarten - and a waste of my time. If it bothers me that much what people think of me then yes, I would lose the weight.. but I tell ya one thing - 5 years ago I weighed almost 600 lbs and could not do anything for myself, nothing. And I did lose weight, quite a bit of weight and I feel awesome. You just have to let some things fall on deaf ears. People are going to pick at you, and not all of us have the confidence that Queen Latifa or Mo'Nique have about how beautiful fat can be.. now me personally - I'm dead sexy!! But it took me a LONG time to get here. You have to love you for you and not give a crap about what others think of you, its hard - but it is possible :)
i believe all violent crime is a hate crime , and to protect some groups or even single them out to protect is trying to say their inferior when this is not the case. We should never judge by who is being attacked but how vicious the attack is. that is the spirit of the law . All people should be protected.
Is there a race born being obese? No? Then hate crime should no longer be considered. Yes there should be some laws put in place to help prevent people being denied things just because of their weight . BUT, that does not mean make a hate crime. Hate crimes today are starting to be a little out of control as it is. This would mean you would have to make a hate crime for people too small, too tall, too skinny, etc. I don't have a PH. D, im not taking courses in health , but I do have common sense that once you start sending people to jail or start fineing for calling people fat , then it will get out of control.
Any person suffering hateful treatment of any type by others, including the obese must be protected by law . As to conviction of an obesity offender under the hate crime laws, each case should be based upon cause & severity of the offense(s). Acts of obesity prejudice should be considered a “hate crime” when there are those purposely directing & executing hateful undertakings against the broader girthed.
Chances are many offenders targeting “fat” people will eventually experience lack of control over their own weight gain , whether by behavior or heredity. There are many “fat” people with absolutely no control over their weight , no matter their efforts to manage the affliction.
Aside from behavior or heredity, realize that many less financially solvent families have no choice but to eat cheaper high carbohydrate foods, lacking in nutrition, of which increases the probability of obesity. The “head of household”, more likely than not, is the only family provider, resulting in depression which often plays a role in their obesity, as compared to their children .
Categorizing “fat” people as “bringing it on themselves” is, for the most part, totally ignorant, and hateful within its self. I am not discounting the fact that there are those making bad choices, however committing hatred acts against more ample people is as comparably wrong as any other “hate crime”.
Being borne of a long lineage of short obese women on my father’s side of my family, I began my life as the “Michelin Baby” & struggled throughout my life to literally shed that label (and weight). I have never been an overeater or a bad food (i.e., fast food , sweets) choice person.
I was treated extremely horrible by “un-fat” people for uncountable numbers of years. I never bonded with anyone I could call a friend and, although I have lost weight, due to my past treatment, I still haven’t done so to this day, due to my past treatment. Obesity hate crimes hurt forever.
It majorly pisses me off that, after my recent (medically necessary assisted) weight loss, I am treated more kindly & respectful, henceforth, my devout support for rational & responsible “hate” crime legislation to protect the obese. Although I have lost weight, I still see, feel & live the former me in my own eyes, as well as the pain reflected in other eyes.
Godspeed
I think government should not be the last entity to govern the concept of " hate crimes ". I am not sure we have the same legal construct here in nl, but we do have strong laws against discrimination . I think government cannot be fully trusted to govern sole authority on this - I think that any group of people feel they should be considered for this they should get organized and sue for special status.
I don't mind stuff like "anti psoriasis hate crimes" and all that. As for fat people - I'd like an objective test that can show the world "this person is fat beyond his or her control" - i.e. obesity not emerging from a moral flaw, but from a psychological or endocrynal cause. I want to make that distinction. If someone is fat because of lifestyle choices I WILL discriminate, just as I would discriminate if someone had like a 100 piercings, or a really foul BO.
This is well known. I agree that many "fat" people need to get out and exercise and eat healthier.
However, if someone is getting beat up in school or anywhere else because they are "fat" then that is a problem. If it's verbal harassment that is causing them to commit suicide or causing them mental torment is wrong.
Think of it for race or any other common discrimination ...
Move out of my way N***er. I have been punched, I have had beer thrown in my face all because I was a "cracker". I have had people attack me on the train because I was a "Fag".
Where's the difference in the discrimination. It is a " hate crime ".
...whether based on color, religion , sexual orientation or anything else. I don't think we necessarily need to add anything to the laws we have; if anything, we need to simplify them--make hate and prejudice of every kind an aggravating factor in any crime .
And some years ago, disabled people successfully lobbied our governments to pass equal-access laws for them. Is there any possible rationale for denying fat people this equal access?
(For the record, I'm 6'4" and very slim, but I have some close friends who are obese. I use the word "fat" openly because some activists do, proudly. It's just a succinct description of a certain body type, and if they're not ashamed of it, I don't see why I should be.)
I will admit I've been over weight my entire life and while nobody has ever out right hated me because of it. Sure, I've lost the weight here and there over the years, but people still found other things to stare at, make fun of and point and laugh it. If it wasn't my weight it was my acne, height or hair. Guess I'm just not that super tall leggy blonde with the fancy cloths. I'm rather plain and that's okay with me and I'm happy which is all that matters.
Anyway, I was pregnant about two years ago and my stupid OB told me I was considered high risk just because I was more than 50 lbs over weight. She actually told me I shouldn't have gotten pregnant. Sure I was aware of the risks before we got pregnant, but from what my OB was telling me I was going to die or kill my baby because I had some extra weight. I left my first OB appointment and almost made another appointment for an ABORTION. We tried for this baby for about 6 months and my husband talked me out of it of course, but for a DOCTOR to make any person feel that way should be wrong or illegal . I found another OB and of course I got the same story. I already had a 5 year old and I was overweight when I had him and without any problems.
Needless to say I'm a healthy women with excellent blood pressure and perfect cholesterol . I was able to find a local midwife and deleived my baby in my home without any problems. The two OB's I had seen were beyond ticked and I even received nasty phone calls after the birth saying that they will never treat again me due to the level of risk I had taken.
I think doctors assume too much and don't look at the whole person anymore. If you're overweight or smoke that is all they are worried about and if you go in complaining about a rash or some else it's automatically because you either smoke or overweight because it's easy to blame.
Looking back it would be nice to take some sort of legal action on the OB's I had simply because what they did should be illegal. On the other hand I had the most beautiful birth at home and that is the bigger picture for me.
I can sympathize with the heavy and over weight people in the world but they bring it on them selves. No one tells them to stuff their face with that donut! No one tells them to keep eating until they are fit to butcher. I am one of the few people who had to stand on an Airplane ride from JFK to Orly in Paris because of two fat slobs. They were seated one on each side of me and weighed over 400 pounds each. I was squeezed between them. When I got up to go to the toilet, they raised the arm rests up and the blubber met in the middle where I was sitting. The stewardess was nice enough when explained to why I was standing by the bulkhead to get me a wall seat where they usually sit. I watched them dig into their back pack and bring out more food then Somalia has seen in a year and consume it like Pigs. They slobbered, drooled, spilled drinks on my seat and more. When It came time to land the plane I had to return to my Wet, messy seat. I was sworn at by them both ( and they didnt get on the plane together) elbowed and called names because I had to sit down in MY seat! People that are that FAT and they are are indeed sick. In the head or by means of hormones. But that is still NO excuse to behave like that. Most people who are overweight are rude, obnoxious and consume more then they should all because of their own selfish reason. No they should not be covered by the discrimination laws out there No they should not be considered a minority, and No they should not continue to eat us all out of house and home and in my case...seat.