In an appalling yet unsurprising move by local bar, The Union, a University of Iowa student has been discriminated against based upon her self-described 'plus size'. Jordan Ramos found herself as a target of discrimination recently when she was told that she was 'not pretty enough' and 'pregnant' (which she is not) to be able to dance on the platform at the notorious downtown establishment.
What is now a national news story, started with Jordan Ramos and her friends going to the Union bar on March 3rd. As the rest of her friends were allowed up to the platform where many people were dancing, Ramos was denied by a bouncer who told her that she 'will never make it up to the platform' and to 'go back to the dance floor where [she] belong[s]'. According to Ramos, one of her friends tried to talk to the manager about the offensive behavior of the bouncer, but was kicked out of the bar instead.
On April 14th, Ramos and her friends returned to the Union to 'see if this would happen again' and it did. Ramos was told by those who deigned who was allowed onto the platform that she was 'not pretty enough' and 'obviously pregnant', which she took as a way to be called 'fat' without directly saying so.
Ramos is now rallying Iowa City to protest the Union bar on May 4th in order to elicit a formal apology from the bar or at least a retaliation against the workers who discriminated her. She's calling for a peaceful protest and everyone who is interested is encouraged to bring signs yet dissuaded from jeering or other provocative action against anyone working or going to The Union. Their purpose is to elicit a formal apologetic response from The Union.
After being told that insults against weight or size of an individual is not considered discrimination by the Human Rights Commission in Iowa City, I feel this brings up major social issues regarding the classification of discrimination and also a current trend to focus on body size as a point of discussion from anorexia to obesity. I would consider both extremes to be that of psychological disorders and those affected by them to be those whom require medical and psychiatric help, whereas it would appear that most often in the media shame is heaped upon such individuals. Yet clearly, in this instance, no one involved are afflicted by such disorders and are subjugated to bigotry by ignorant and intolerant individuals who have no place being employed to work in such a social environment.
The response to her call to action has been tremendous, already garnering over 250 supporters on her Facebook protest page. Though there have been some who have tried to undermine her message with their own moronic insults (which are quickly deleted and rebuked) there have been many more sane individuals who see this issue for what it is: a chance to call attention to the shallowness and bigotry that happens daily when it comes to body image in our culture.
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