Eric Adams, the Democrat mayor of New York City, has made discriminating against someone due to how fat they are illegal.
Under new legislation signed into law on Friday, businesses in New York City will no longer be legally allowed to discriminate against someone due to their weight and height. Signed by the city’s Democratic Party mayor, Eric Adams, the bill will render it illegal to discriminate in employment or housing decisions against someone due to their weight.
The bill has prompted fears amongst those outside the progressive left in the city, with numerous pundits and politicians expressing concerns that the law will result in a spike in lawsuits, further fattening the wallets of New York’s legal class.
According to a report by Fox News, Adams justified the legislation as being part of his “progressive health agenda”, arguing that so-called “body type” has nothing to do with how healthy or unhealthy someone is.
“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,” the mayor reportedly said. “So I think this is the right thing to do.”
“We’re going to continue to talk about our progressive health agenda,” he added. “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.”
Right-wing politicians in the city have taken a radically different view of the bill, with Republican Minority Leader Joseph Borelli expressing concern that the bill would just lead to lawyers having a field day.
“I’m overweight, but I’m not a victim,” the official previously told the New York Times. “No one should feel bad for me except for my struggling shirt buttons.”