New York City has passed a law banning discrimination based on weight, joining a growing movement in the US to make body size a protected characteristic on par with race and gender.
More than 40 percent of American adults are considered obese, and studies show that weight stigma is pervasive.
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City Councilman Sean Abreu said weight discrimination was "a silent burden that people have had to carry."
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During public hearings, supporters of the bill cited difficulty finding seats in restaurants and theaters, being turned away by landlords and opposing weight limits in the city's bike-share program.
Councilor Abruu, who sponsored the bill, said he became more aware of the problem when he gained more than 18,1 kilograms during quarantine and saw a change in the way he was treated. He said the lack of a protection system has exacerbated the problems people are facing.
"They are discriminated against, while they don't have any resources, and society says that's perfectly fine," he said.
The mayor of New York is expected to sign the measure later this month. The proposal received broad support, with a 44-5 vote, despite skepticism in some quarters.
New York City Council Minority Leader Joseph Borrelli, a Republican, told The New York Times that he was concerned the bill would empower New Yorkers to "sue anyone and everyone."
"I'm overweight, but I'm not a victim. Nobody should feel bad for me except my shirt buttons," he said.
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Michigan banned weight discrimination in the workplace in 1976, and several other cities, including San Francisco and Washington DC, have legislation in place.
State laws have now been introduced in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Jersey.
These efforts come after a dramatic increase in obesity rates over the past 20 years.
Tegan Lecheler, director of advocacy for the National Association for the Advancement of Obesity Acceptance, which worked with Councilman Abreu on the bill in New York, said she hopes the measure "will encourage a broader discussion about how to look at this issue beyond a health perspective." .
"It's not a health issue. It's a civil rights issue," she said.
"This is really about whether people are safe and protected and whether they have the right to be in the spaces.
New York's Human Rights Act already prohibits discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation based on 27 characteristics, including age, marital status, disability and national origin.
The bill adds weight and height to that list, while including exceptions for jobs where weight and height are "bona fide occupational qualifications" or where there are public health and safety concerns.
Councilor Abru said he hopes this move by the country's largest city will encourage other cities and states to follow suit.
"We want this bill to send a message to everyone that you matter, whether you're above or below the average weight," he said. "That's why we fought for this."
You may also be interested in this video about the walk of "plus size" women in bathing suits in the center of Belgrade
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