Michigan Is The Only State With This Law Against Discrimination

Discover how Michigan's unique Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act protects individuals from weight discrimination, setting it apart from other states.

The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, enacted in 1977, forbids discrimination in the state of Michigan based on age, height, and weight. This law got a lot of attention 10 years ago according to time.com,

The Michigan law faced a major test in 2010 when former Hooters waitress Cassandra Smith filed a lawsuit against the “breastaurant” chain, alleging that managers at the Roseville restaurant where she worked told her that if she didn’t lose weight in 30 days, she would face a “separation” from the company.

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Important note, 21-year-old Smith only weighed 132 pounds. A second waitress also filed a lawsuit a month later. 23-year-old Leanne Convery was fired by Hooters in Roseville, MI after being on "weight probation." She only weighed 115 pounds. Both cases were settled out of court.

On a positive note: body positivity has been a growing trend for the last few years. Wikipedia describes Body positivity this way,

Body positivity is a social movement initially created to empower and shed light on marginalized bodies not shown in the media, whilst challenging the ways in which society presents and views the physical body.

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You think you know Michigan? Check out these crazy Michigan facts.

Even though Michigan is the only state with a law like this in the books, a handful of cities have similar regulations. Binghampton, NY, Madison, WI, San Francisco, CA, Santa Cruz, CA, Urbana, IL and Washington DC all have laws that prevent weight discrimination.

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Gallery Credit: Scott Clow