There are many ways to live a life, many choices we can make and many things over which we have no agency. Over my adult life time (say the last 10-15 years) I've observed social change across society (UK) whereby the attitude toward 'other' states of being (relatively speaking) has changed quite significantly. Concepts such as civil rights, women's rights and the rights to same sex relationships have all become, more or less, normalised and absorbed into the UK mainstream group think. At the very least, I think it would be fair to say discrimination seems to have diminished.
But... here's the thing... when the idea of size discrimination is compared to these other rights struggles, one of the first reasons reached for by, often liberal (original meaning of 'liberal') minded people is that discrimination against fat people is legitimate because fatness is chosen whereas the colour of ones skin, their gender, or their sexual orientation is not.
My reaction to this is to ask the question if it was possible to choose skin tone or sexuality, would the onus on people be to change or face 'justified' discrimination? Are these, otherwise quite liberal minded people, espousing a discrimination-free, egalitarian attitute if they would expect another to change themselves... if they could?
This is an issue that has been bouncing around my noggin for a while and I'm interested to know what you all think about the use of others choices (or lack of them) as grounds to discriminate against others?
But... here's the thing... when the idea of size discrimination is compared to these other rights struggles, one of the first reasons reached for by, often liberal (original meaning of 'liberal') minded people is that discrimination against fat people is legitimate because fatness is chosen whereas the colour of ones skin, their gender, or their sexual orientation is not.
My reaction to this is to ask the question if it was possible to choose skin tone or sexuality, would the onus on people be to change or face 'justified' discrimination? Are these, otherwise quite liberal minded people, espousing a discrimination-free, egalitarian attitute if they would expect another to change themselves... if they could?
This is an issue that has been bouncing around my noggin for a while and I'm interested to know what you all think about the use of others choices (or lack of them) as grounds to discriminate against others?
