It’s Friday Night and you’re prepping yourself for the night ahead. You are elated that the work week is behind you and the weekend is ahead of you. Hair and Nails Done? Check. Outfit and Shoes? Check. Don’t Look Fat in My Dress? Check.

Yes, not looking fat is now a requirement. Recent weight discrimination at the club has women checking whether they’re slim enough to fit the bill. On the club scene, several women have been rejected from “exclusive” parties because of their weight by aggressive club promoters and bouncers.

A close friend of mine who is overweight never gets into parties when we go out. Curious, I spoke to my friend who is a party promoter. When asked if heavier women were being rejected from lines, she quickly responded: “Yes, many clubs only want model type chicks in their parties; it’s just the way the industry is and always will be.”

As shocked as I was by her response, I continued going to clubs with my friend, hoping that the venues that rejected her were the exception and not the rule. The excuses we encountered were endless. We would hear “You’re not on the list,” after we clearly RSVP’d. The common excuse was “You’re not in line with the proper dress code,” though in dresses and heels, we were dressed to the nines and certainly fancier than others on line. One time, a bouncer yelled rudely pointing at me “You can come in, but not your friend,” prompting us both to walk away feeling attacked when we were just trying to enjoy our Friday night.

The club scene, an atmosphere where we are supposed to revel in our weekend freedom, had just served up another dose of discouragement to add to the constant body obsession we deal with daily. I didn’t hesitate to tell my friend that she is beautiful and anywhere she goes where she is not accepted is a place that does not deserve her presence.

Sure, obesity is a real issue in this country and among African-American women and please believe she is doing her best to get to a weight that is healthy and one that she is comfortable with. But discriminating against someone for their weight is deplorable, unjust and hurtful to everyone who experiences it.

Have you ever been turned away from a club because of weight, or witnessed it happened to someone else? Do you think it’s fair?

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2 Comments

  1. Is it me or is body obession getting too damn serious?? This is clearly discrimination. Me and my friends are all different shapes and sizes but there have been many a times when i felt as though stores wasted the good clothes on the small girls and I say that because as a girl who is “in between” Jrs and misses I feel as though slimmer girls should represent way harder in fashion because there are more selection of fly pieces tailored to them. I guess i’m going off topic but I totally feel the writer when she said “dressed to the nines” when the bigger girl did dress better but still shunned.

  2. This scares me, because I am a big girl (round 300 lbs). I have been to many clubs before and have never faced this kind of discrimination, but Im sure its out there. I am going to a bachelorette party this weekend all with girls smaller than me. I am scared that something like this could happen where a bouncer wont let me in. Im just praying that it doesnt. But larger women are discriminated against in many places, not just night clubs.

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