We all know and at some point have faced, or even perpetuated. different kinds of discrimination be it race, sex, sexual preference or otherwise—yet a rarely discussed issue seems to be short on a list of important topics, heightism.
Heightism/Sizeism:
-Is prejudice or discrimination against individuals based on height. In principle it refers to discriminatory treatment against individuals whose height is not within the normal acceptable range of height in a population.
Now we may never think much about how many things are difficult for people who are shorter than the "average" size/height, especially in regards to how high things are placed, sizes for clothing, etc. But another thing that is often difficult is living. Many forms of ridicule, discrimination, and hate are tossed at those below that high bar labeled "normal."
"In the workforce, people don’t often come out and say “I’m not hiring you because of height,” but the correlations seem too strong to ignore. And sometimes, they do say that, like in the case of Gerleman. After getting turned down for an office supervisor job (which didn’t require reaching any items on the top shelf), he found out later that the hiring manager told his supervisor that she didn’t hire him because of his height. He could have sued for height discrimination, but he didn’t want to hurt his chances of moving up in the company later. (It’s also unclear if he would’ve won: Michigan is the only state that explicitly prohibits height discrimination.) from http://www.playboy.com/articles/short-men-stigma
Out of 50 states and how many countries, and only one is against height discrimination? Seems like short people have a tall order of justice they need to be served (but please supply a ladder or a step stool!).
"If we want men as a gender to question the beauty standard, shouldn't we be willing to do the same?" from http://www.xojane.com/sex/i-wish-women-would-stop-...
Regarding dating for short men in the world, I've not faced this problem, but it is a pressing concern.
"A 13-year-old boy has committed suicide after enduring years of bullying for being small, his devastated family and friends have revealed." - from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2700457/Boy-13-commits-suicide-bullied-years-small.html#ixzz3moLMVFUD
We refuse to consider this an "issue," yet when people are getting bullied into the point of suicide for it, I believe we need to have more compassion for this issue. When so many people are either above or below that bar we label as normal, it can produce an ostracizing and ignorant culture. We don't consider heightism/sizeism a "real" issue, yet it has had very serious repercussions in many people's lives.
When will being too short or being too tall finally be accepted in society?
When will the standards that someone of a certain height or size acts or is a certain way because of that?
When will there be justice?
