Campaign for Size Freedom
Sign the petition to end body size discrimination!
All bodies deserve care, love and respect. We want to be compensated fairly for our work, receive high-quality medical care, and be welcomed in all public spaces.
For people of larger size, that is not the current reality. Very few laws exist that specifically outlaw discrimination based on body size. In 2019 alone, body size discrimination harmed 34 million Americans. This discrimination denies people necessary—even life-saving—medical treatment, contributes to financial inequality, and creates serious mental health challenges. People suffer even more because this injustice is intertwined with systemic racism, sexism, and other efforts to deny our humanity.
Four states and New York City are currently considering legislation that would prohibit discrimination based on height and weight. If successful, these states will join Michigan and Washington in being the only states in the country with explicit protections against body size discrimination, and NYC will join only six other municipalities that have explicit protections.
Join the movement to end body size discrimination by signing this petition and urging your legislators to support anti-body size discrimination legislation where you live.
Write or call your legislators
After you’ve signed the petition, write your legislators to ask them to pass legislation to end body size discrimination. This is one of the most important actions you can take. Legislators want to hear from their constituents. Find your legislator here.
Show your support on social media
You can show your support for ending body size discrimination by sharing on social media. First, follow @flareforjustice and @naafaofficial on Twitter and Instagram. Then, use this sample language to post about the campaign on your social media channels:
People of every size should be compensated fairly for their work, receive high-quality medical care, and be comfortable in all public spaces. That’s why I support the #CampaignForSizeFreedom! @NAAFAofficial @FLAREforJustice @Dove flareproject.org/sizefreedom
Donate to fund the movement
Your contributions will help fuel the Campaign for Size Freedom and our work to end body size discrimination. Click here to donate via NAAFA.
About the campaign
NAAFA and the Law Office of Brandie Solovay’s FLARE Project, supported by Dove, launched the Campaign for Size Freedom to end body size discrimination. The campaign will strengthen legal protections and shift cultural narratives about body size through education, advocacy, and corporate social responsibility.
The campaign comes as four states and New York City are considering legislation that would prohibit discrimination based on height and weight. If successful, these states will join Michigan and Washington in being the only states in the country with explicit protections against body size discrimination, and NYC will join only six other municipalities that have explicit protections.
Background
Though people of larger size are the majority in America, very few laws specifically outlaw discrimination based on body size. Research conducted by Dove showed that nearly 90% of women—and 84% of all adults—living in larger bodies have at least once in their life been shamed because of their body size. Many have also been discriminated against because of their body size, with 78% of women and 65% of all adults living in larger bodies experiencing discrimination at least once. Race also plays a key role, with women of color living in larger bodies more at risk of discrimination than white women. Body size discrimination denies people necessary—even life-saving—medical treatment, contributes to financial inequality, and creates serious mental health challenges.
Despite the devastating impact that body discrimination has on people of higher weight, Michigan and Washington are the only states in the country with explicit protections against body size discrimination.
True equality means everyone at every size has the same freedom to thrive. It’s that simple. The Campaign for Size Freedom seeks to make the promise of equality a reality for people of all sizes and from all backgrounds.
With nearly 80% of people surveyed in the United States supporting legislation to make body size discrimination illegal, now it’s time to set things right.
For more information on the state of legislation to end body size discrimination, click here.
Tell us your story
In 2019 alone, 34 million Americans were harmed by body size discrimination. Our new #CampaignforSizeFreedom, in collaboration with @NAAFAofficial and with support from @Dove, is seeking to make equality a reality for people of all sizes. Do you have a story to share about your own experiences with size discrimination? Tell your story here.