Happy New Year From NOSSA!!!

NOSSA - National Organization Of Short Statured Adults wishes you and your loved ones best wishes for a wonderful new year. We look forward to the new year with much hope and enthusiasm. We have many exciting things planned for 2008. We invite you to join us in our efforts to support short statured people. God bless all short statured people and god bless the National Organization Of Short Statured Adults.

Happy Holidays!

The National Organization Of Short Statured Adults wishes you and your family a very safe, happy, and healthy holiday season. We truly have had a great year here at the organization. We have made so many new friends and we have strengthened our relationships with those who have remained loyal members since our start. Thank you for being a part of this worthy endeavor. God bless all short statured adults, especially the fine members of NOSSA - National Organization Of Short Statured Adults. :)

Support Massachusetts Height/Weight Bill

The Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is considering bill H.1844, sponsored by Byron Rushing, which would make it illegal for employers to discriminate based on height and weight. Jurisdictions in the United States routinely protect citizens from discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, and sexual orientation. Yet is it perfectly legal to deny employment, promotion or raises based on a person's height. That discrimination is real. Research shows that short people lose about $800/year per inch of height

Only one other state, Michigan, makes it illegal to discriminate based on person's height or weight. These protections were added to their discrimination laws in 1979. Since then we have seen very little progress. The only other governments that have similar protections are the cities of San Francisco and Santa Cruz.

Now there is an opportunity to correct these injustices but action is required. If you are a resident of Massachusetts, please contact your State Senator and District Representative and ask that they support this bill.

Thanksgiving Message

Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks for all of our blessings in life. We at NOSSA want to take this opportunity to give thanks to all of our members and supporters who have stood behind us in our good fight against heightism. We hope that you have a very wonderful holiday season. We have some good things planned for 2008. We hope that you will continue to support us in our efforts to help short statured people. Cheers everyone!

Message From NOSSA Chairman

Members of NOSSA,

I want to thank you for your support of NOSSA in 2007. Your support is very much appreciated. I am also contacting you today to ask you if you would please consider supporting us with a voting membership in our group in 2008. I want to tell you more about what NOSSA is doing to support short statured people and also how much your voting membership helps.

NOSSA is a united organization of short men and women from around the globe, promoting the message of self-empowerment for all of its members, providing a supportive environment in which to share experiences, and committed to opposing heightism in society.

You might be asking yourself, well what exactly does that mean or in what ways does NOSSA do all of this? Well allow me to elaborate further:

There are many people in the world who struggle with issues related to their height. Some experience height discrimination at work, school, or when it comes to finding love. Some face psychological and/or physical bullying. Others have even considered suicide. Sometimes it’s just a matter of feeling a bit inadequate, or for others it could involve a profound feeling of shame. As a short statured man or woman you know exactly what’s it’s been like for you to live as an adult of below average height. Whether your experiences have been extremely tough or not so bad, you still have something to give and receive with a membership in NOSSA. At NOSSA we are all about supporting each other. If you are having a rough time, we are here to listen and support you. If you feel you have overcome certain obstacles in life, why not give something back by sharing your insights with people who are dealing with similar struggles? We are creating a community of people who truly understand and are going to listen and support you without any fear of being judged or dismissed.

At NOSSA, you set your own level of involvement. You can be very active and attend organization meetings and events, or you can simply communicate through the internet on our message forums or through e-mail. Either way you are sure to make some lasting friendships with people who share something in common with you. It’s comforting to know that you can always pick up the phone and call the group or a member when you really need someone to talk to that understands.

By now, I’m sure you know what heightism is. It’s an awful prejudice that many people simply don’t understand or even care to understand. We want to change that. We want people to understand exactly what heightism is so they can begin to re-evaluate their own beliefs about short stature. Is it really so horrible to be short? Well, yeah it can be, but it has very little to do with actually being short and mostly to do with how most of society perceives short stature and also how we might perceive it. See it’s all a matter of perception and perceptions can change. So maybe what short statured people really need is a good PR campaign? Well, that’s part of what we hope to accomplish. Let’s join together to spread the message that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being short.

At NOSSA we are disseminating knowledge about short stature to the public and encouraging more responsible research about short stature. We also promote the acceptance of short stature in everything that we do. We are committed to assisting children and young adults who are struggling with heightism. We are also monitoring the media to address negative messages that are carelessly being perpetuated about short statured people. What happens when people face height discrimination at work or are scammed by some bogus growth enhancement product? NOSSA is able to help our members with these types of problems.

Most alarming to us is the increase in the use of “cosmetic” human growth hormone injections in short but otherwise healthy kids and in an increase in painful leg lengthening procedures. It’s amazing what people are willing to do to gain a few extra inches in height. Would it upset or surprise you to learn that the United States Government approves of this? See, these kids don’t need any extra growth hormone. There bodies are healthy and make all the hGH they need. But the kids are given these injections so they can grow taller, so they can someday grow to “normal” height. The risks include the possibility of certain cancers developing, hypertension, spontaneous bone fractures, headaches, fevers, stomach problems, vomiting, impaired glucose tolerance, and kidney damage. Do you agree that there is something wrong with a society that prefers hGH body modification to the full acceptance of short stature?

If you do, we need you to join us and support what it is we are doing. For a mere $35.00 (USD) your membership helps support our activities as mentioned above. Together as a group, we will unite to address problems like these and to support one another in a way unlike anything you have ever experienced before. But the group cannot do this without you. The success of NOSSA depends on you and whether you are willing to step up to the plate and tackle the issue of heightism with us.

Please don’t put it off until later. Join NOSSA Today!

Respectfully,

Matthew Campisi
Chairman/President
NOSSA

Heightism MessageBoard Forums

Thank you to everyone who has visited and posted on our Heightism Messageboard Forum since it's creation in 2005. At last count we had over 300 members from all corners of the globe, reading and posting on our website. The site will no longer be hosted by Aimoo. We are moving the site to a new and improved location which will offer our visitors an even better forum online. NOSSA will launch the new forums soon. Check back here often for the latest news or visit www.nossaonline.org for the link when it becomes available. Thanks everyone!

Dating While Short - A True Story

A recent article from one of the various dating websites:

Author Unknown:

If you're a regular reader, you probably knew that I was on the CBS Early Show in July. Appearing with me was one of my all-time favorite clients, Tom Pandolfo. Charming, charismatic, successful, warm, athletic... Tom has it all. The only thing missing in his life is a woman. So, after hiring me as his dating coach, we set to work in rebranding him on Match.com.

We took new professional photos. We had Tom fill out my long questionnaire and submit to an hour of questions from me on the phone. We wrote two new profile essays that were unique, funny and confident. We renamed him "LookMaNoHair".

And we watched as his in-box filled up with interested women.

You can see what a great experience it was in this CBS Early Show clip:

What I haven't yet mentioned is that Tom Pandolfo is 5'3".

I didn't want to mention it for the same reason that Tom didn't want to mention it in his profile: because it's irrelevant to anything that makes him a good accountant, husband, or father. Yet his height defines him, since it has prevented otherwise interested women from being interested in him over the course of his entire life.

This instantly reminded me of a story that ABC did years ago on this very issue.

To see if the women would go for short guys who were successful, ABCNEWS' Lynn Sherr created extraordinary résumés for the shorter men. She told the women that the shorter men included a doctor, a best-selling author, a champion skier, a venture capitalist who'd made millions by the age of 25.

Nothing worked. The women always chose the tall men. Sherr asked whether there'd be anything she could say that would make the shortest of the men, who was 5 feet, irresistible. One of the women replied, "Maybe the only thing you could say is that the other four are murderers." Another backed her up, saying that had the taller men had a criminal record she might have been swayed to choose a shorter man. Another said she'd have considered the shorter men, if the taller men had been described as "child molesters."

Lest you think this is an example of reality TV finding evidence to support a story, Tom tried his own experiment last week. Sure enough, few women give a fair shake to a man who is 5'3", no matter what else he has going for him.

I'm going to let Tom take it from here.

So I tried changing my profile for three days just to see what the difference was between being 5'3" and 5'10". I wanted to know if height was the only difference and the constant deal breaker. So I moved my profile from Pittsburgh and posted it for 3 days in a town where nobody knew me ( Philadelphia). Here's what I found:

5'3" in Pittsburgh 5'10" in Philadelphia



Mutual matches 0 80

Reverse matches 12 400

Petite women w/pics w/in 50 miles 45 650

Views in 3 days 11 212

Emails received - unsolicited 0 32

Winks received - unsolicited 2 28

Emails sent out 6 6

Replies received to emails sent out 0 6

This proves, in stark and undeniable terms, two things:

Life - and people - can be incredibly unfair. We talked about this just the other day. People want what they want. They're attracted to what they're attracted to. And no amount of complaining is going to change it.

Oh, and I am one helluva dating coach. 60 unsolicited contacts in three days? Six replies from six emails sent? Come on. That's pretty damn good!

Okay, I'm kidding about the last part, but only because I'm so serious about the rest of this. Really, it kills me.

Believe me, Tom is no "woe-is-me" kind of guy. He's just been confronted with a very ugly reality that has shaken his confidence in people. And even though we had good initial results, the fact remains, empirically: women don't want short men.

And although you can feel free to substitute "older women", "older men", "heavier women", or "Asian men", I honestly feel that nobody gets a rawer deal than short guys.

Short Men More Prone to Pedophillia?

Recently, a study was conducted by the Toronto Center for Addiction and Health, which suggested that shorter men were more prone to pedophilia than were taller men. The study cited the fact that adverse conditions inside the mother's womb, which may lead to underdevelopment, can contribute to short stature and some psychological issues. This led to the assumption that a shorter man can have an attraction to children. Here is a link to an article from the Toronto Star:

http://www.thestar.com/article/269404

NOSSA questions the validity of this study and wonders what purpose it is serving by releasing this information. Even if it is flawed, or skewed, it can still cause people to view us shorter people, especially men, with more cynicism than they already do. This story is inflammatory and could potentially lead to physical harm against short men who are otherwise innocent.

We are not going to question that fact that poor prenatal care, or irrresponsible mothering while a child is inside the womb, leads to poorer health down the road. However, to go as far as equating those issues with a propensity to commit heinous sexual acts against a child is preposterous and irresponsible!

It's bad enough that we are viewed as less intelligent than someone taller, seen as childish and immature, and unfairly labeled with a "Napoleon Complex" if we dare to be ambitious or outspoken; now we may have to deal with the stigma of pedophilia. Any other group would be outraged with this and NOSSA is no exception!

We do hope that all media types will address this particular issue immediately and not print or air the results of this fallacious and hurtful study.

I would like to thank Toronto Star reporter Lynda Hurst for her attention to this matter and giving us the opportunity to have our voices heard.

-Chris Hamre
Vice-President, NOSSA

Shorter People Have A 'Chip On Their Shoulder' Which Makes Them Unhealthy?

Those not blessed with height are often accused of having a chip on their shoulder.

Now a study has found that they might, in fact, have an unhealthy attitude to life.

Short men and women apparently complain of poorer mental and physical health than those of an average height.

Researchers examined more than 14,000 responses to the 2003 Health Survey for England.

The subjects had given details of their height, weight, age, gender, long-standing illness and social class.

They were then asked to rate their health on a range of indicators such as mobility, pain and depression.

Those in the shortest height category - men shorter than 5ft 4in and women shorter than 5ft - reported much poorer health, according to the report in the journal Clinical Endocrinology.

The survey did not ascertain how healthy they actually were, just how well they thought they were.

Lead researcher Dr Torsten Christensen said: "Using this large and nationally representative sample of the UK population, we found shorter people report that they experience lower physical and mental well-being than taller people do.

"Our results also indicate that the shorter someone is, the stronger this relationship becomes."

She added that an increase in height of one inch would have a positive impact on the healthrelated quality of life of a short person, whereas the effect of an extra inch would be negligible for a person of normal height.

Dr Christensen found that short people would have a 6 per cent higher health rating if they were around three inches taller.

This is the equivalent to the health benefit experienced by an obese person losing two and a half stones.

Dr Christensen, of Danish healthcare company Novo Nordisk, added: "We know that people who are short experience more difficulties in areas of their life such as education, employment and relationships than people of a normal height.

"Although our study does not show that short height directly causes a reduction in physical and mental health, it does indicate that short people are more likely to feel that they experience a lower healthrelated quality of life."

She added: "Further research is now needed to clarify the precise relationship between changes in height and health-related quality of life."

Short height in adult life can either be due to normal development or can be caused by a number of diseases such as growth hormone deficiency and Turner syndrome.

Treatment with growth hormone for children with these conditions can increase their final height by as much as four inches.

The study shows that these height increases could have a huge positive effect on a person's mental wellbeing once they grow up.

Well, there you have it people. The solution to heightism is to be taller. So I suppose the solution to racism is to be caucasion; solution to sexism is to be male; solution to weightism is to be skinny; solution to extreme tall heightism is to be average height; solution to gay prejudice is to be straight; solution to religous discrimination is to worship whatever religion is norm....etc. etc.

T-shirts of our own.

Show your support for NOSSA, National Organization Of Short Statured Adults by purchasing one of our t-shirts at http://www.cafepress.com/nossa Be proud of who you are and show everyone that you support your fellow short statured brothers and sisters. Proceeds go directly towards the fight against heightism.

NOSSA Calls For Boycott Of Zazzle.com

The National Organization Of Short Statured Adults is encouraging people to both boycott the website www.zazzle.com and also for everyone to send a letter of complaint regarding the following T-shirt at http://www.zazzle.com/short_men_suck_shirt-235262457846832634

Contact Zazzle.com at:

Zazzle.com
1900 Seaport Blvd. 4th floor Redwood City, CA 94063

Telephone: Toll-Free - 1-800-980-9890.
or 650-872-8000

email: domains@zazzle.com

Zazzle.com refuses to remove heightist T-shirt

The owners of zazzle.com have refused to remove a heightist t-shirt from their website despite repeated requests from numerous people who filed complaints with the website. zazzle.com has removed all of the negative comments from the website displaying the shirt in an attempt to silence the protest. We encourage everyone who reads this to contact zazzle.com and express your outrage directly. http://www.zazzle.com/short_men_suck_shirt-235262457846832634 Contact: Zazzle.com 1900 Seaport Blvd. 4th floor Rewood City, CA 94063 (phone) 650-872-8000 (email) domains@zazzle.com

NOSSA To Appear On NPR

NOSSA Vice-President Chris Hamre will be a guest on National Public Radio. Chris will be discussing the issue of heightism. For the latest news on air dates visit http://nossaonline.org/news.html

NPR Article Citing Taller Discrimination In Sports

On August 15th, 2007, Frank Deford, a contributor to Morning Editon on National Public Radio and an acclaimed sportwriter, wrote the following piece:

Click Here.

After reading this article, I was confused. Let me first begin at the end of the article. Mr. Deford claims that, apparently, it is their (their being the taller..he is 6'4") ordained right to rule and they are so good at it. This came on the heels of his complaining that the shorter guys are ruling and that there is "gross discrimination" against the taller in sports among the coaching ranks.. What?

I am willing to bet that guys who are shorter coaches, like Lawrence Frank, coach of the Nets, probably had to work a lot harder than a taller coach just to get where he is. Perhaps Mr.Deford should be giving them credit instead of crying foul that a taller coach isn't in that positon. Perhaps that sense of entitlement mentality that Mr. Deford is exhibiting is widespread among the taller and that may make them more lackadasical in their approach. Could you imagine if he had stated that "white men should rule because it is their ordained right to do so."? What a statement of lunacy! People should rule as a reward for their hard work not by their appearance.

Now, let's address the "gross discrimination" issue. Can Mr. Deford honestly claim that their is discrimnation against the tall in sports. You have to be kidding! How many short guys are given a chance in the four major sports? You can probably count them on your ten fingers! Any QBs under 6'0"? If you are under that size in any one of the major sports, you are "undersized" or "small". Mr. Deford is right, there is "gross discrimination" in sports but not against the taller...please!

He states, earlier in his rant that because we are shorter, we are losing to other countries in basketball, then later says that the guards are as tall as the centers were twenty years ago. So, which is it Mr. Deford, are we getting taller or shorter, I am confused? I am quite certain that our last Olympic team was the tallest team of any in the Olympics. Yet, the gold medalists were from Argentina, are they taller than we? Once again, Mr. Deford doesn't point to the real problem.
These guys now don't work as hard as the "Dream Team" of 1992. They have a sense of entitlement and think it's their right to be there. That is the problem with many of these pro athletes nowadays. Of course the shorter ones can't act that way, they have to work their asses off to prove themselves every day or they will lose their position to a taller, lazier individual.

- Chris Hamre

Strength

Several months ago, I stumbled upon a blog which was criticizing our organization for discussing the issue of heightism. The poster accused us of being "wimps" and said that we all needed to have "our asses kicked". Apparently, this individual felt that only a wimp would complain about being picked on because of their height and he was tired of hearing about it.

I see it very differently. For me, only a man or woman of great bravery and strength would be capable of standing up before the world and declaring heightism to be wrong and demanding something be done about it. A coward is one who is too afraid to stand up against considerable opposition. This poster knows heightism is wrong. He knows that it hurts good people. Yet he favors an approach that emphasizes keeping your mouth shut and taking it "like a man". An easy way out that hurts only the one who refuses to do anything.

Instead, we at NOSSA choose to continue to stand up for short statured people, wherever and whenever they are faced with heightism. And in doing so, we will clearly show the measure of our bravery and strength.

Our latest podcast will address the issue of bullying. We will be talking with Guests: Chris Hamre & Steve Goldsmith. To listen go to: Standing Tall Against Discrimination!

Words Worth Repeating

I come across many excellent posts by members of our message forums at http://heightism.aimoo.com Recently, I came across this message on the website. I couldn't help but smile when I read it. I think this member's words are worth repeating. And to this member I say, Thank You!

"I feel the same way at times in public places,...I almost feel like people are staring or something,...but it doesn't bother me really I just go about my day and keep my head up. You never know though sometimes you might get stares because somebody thinks your attractive. It's happened more times than I can count and I would never have noticed unless someone of the opposite sex brought it to my attention. Sometimes it's all in our heads and other times people are really being bigots. I kinda like being the shortest guy in public or social situations because it makes me stand out and be unique. We gotta be positive guys sometimes people get bored with all same flavors of ice cream,....well the same can be true with relationships and social settings. I believe it's a virtuous thing to be a black sheep and proud that I'm not like anyone else. I would really love all the people that are taller than us to try to be unique and original,.....that might actually take some effort,.....and it would probabably involve taking those silver spoons out of there mouths just because they are taller,....but hey if they want to be bigots than forget them because wars are won by winning one battle at a time and we are a growing force and others who are like us and others who aren't are beginning to support us and recongnize that we are not that different and we deserve to be treated as equals. This war against heightism will be won one battle and one mind at a time but it will be won and our number will eventually multiply expotentially."

Zazzle.com Offers Heightist T-Shirt For Sale.

The website Zazzle.com is offering a heightist T-shirt for sale. The shirt, created by Angela from Sarasota, Florida reads, "Short Men Suck" To view the website click here. NOSSA has made contact with Zazzle.com and hopes that the site's owners will remove the offensive shirt from their website. Until such time as that is done, NOSSA encourages everyone to contact the website directly and express their disgust.

The Insults Are Acceptable?

Our organization, the National Organization of Short Statured Adults, wishes to make a formal statement with regards to an insult made by Mr. Barry Bonds. directed at Bob Costas. After viewing an episode of "Costas Now" on Wednesday (07/25), Mr Bonds responded to remarks made by Curt Schilling and Patrick Arnold, as well as Mr Costas, by referring to Mr Costas as a "little midget man who knows nothing about baseball."

While Mr Costas apparently didn't take too much offense by it but responded to Mr Bonds in kind, NOSSA finds the comment made by Mr. Bonds inappropriate and offensive. We at NOSSA are fed up with the public insults and in our quest for equaity demand an apology from Mr. Bonds at the minumum. Insulting another minority would at least warrant an apology, if not a suspension. They wouldn't have to put up with it, so why should we?

Respectfully,

Christopher A. Hamre
Vice President
NOSSA

Comment by Chairman Campisi:

It seems perfectly acceptable in our society to disrespect people because they are shorter than others. You are absolutely right Chris. Had this athlete made a similar comment about a man's race, religion, or even sexuality, there likely would have been fierce outrage and public condemnation of the remarks. Heightism remains the ignored prejudice.

`Little runt' grew up to become a champion

When Fremont Coach Bobby Soto saw Boris Novachkov for the first time in 2003, the Bulgarian native weighed 85 pounds dripping wet.
But Soto could see that the slender youngster was one of the most naturally gifted wrestlers he had ever encountered.

Four years and 40 pounds later, Novachkov is graduating from Fremont High as the most decorated wrestler in school history, with two state championships under his belt and a scholarship to Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in hand.

"He was a little runt when he first came to the room," Soto said with a laugh. "We joked that I used to be able to control him with my index finger. Now I have to give everything I have and use my whole body."

Novachkov was a national freestyle champion in Bulgaria before moving to Sunnyvale in 2003 with his parents and older brother Filip, the 2005 Mercury News wrestler of the year who won a state title in 2006 and is on scholarship at Cal-Poly SLO.

But as a freshman, Boris was too light and didn't earn a spot on the varsity because Filip wrestled at 103 pounds.

"We teased him, saying he went from Bulgarian national champion to a junior-varsity league champion when he came to America," said Soto, who coaches Fremont with Erik Duus.

But the teasing didn't last long. In summer 2005, Boris won national junior titles in freestyle and Greco-Roman.

"It was a little frustrating not being able to compete as a freshman, and everyone joked with me about it," Novachkov said.

"But when I won those national titles, I knew my time would come."
He followed that by cruising to the CIF state title at 103 pounds, the same year Filip won at 119 and teammate Greg Crane won at 160.

"That was my best memory - it was special because we all won it together," Boris said.

When Novachkov moved up three weight classes to 125 pounds for his senior season, some thought he wouldn't have the strength to compete there. But he dispelled those notions in December by winning the Walsh Ironman Invitational in Ohio, considered one of the toughest tournaments in the nation.

"I want to win at everything I do, whether I'm running or wrestling or playing any sport," Novachkov said. "I just don't like the feeling of losing."

He defeated Los Gatos' Naveed Bagheri 8-1 for his second consecutive Central Coast Section title, then rolled through the competition at the state meet, beating Freedom's David Prado 7-1 to win the title.

"Boris' balance is amazing, and he knows how to use hips so well, he is never in a bad position," Bagheri said. "I learned something and came out better for it every time I wrestled him."

Now Novachkov is embarking on a new phase of his wrestling career, and many think the sky is the limit.

"Boris wins because of his mentality - he has goals that are far beyond those of regular high school kids," Soto said. "He has Olympic aspirations - he is looking at the highest accomplishment you can make in wrestling."

First he will work toward his goal of winning at Cal Poly.

"Boris is so technically advanced, nobody can really do anything against him," Cal Poly Coach John Azevedo said. "He'll need to get used to the physical nature of college wrestling, but I think both he and Filip can become NCAA champions. They are going to make an impact"

Will Joining NOSSA Make It Worse?

NOSSA does not believe that short statured people should stay silent about heightism. How can we expect anything to change if we don't make people aware that there is a problem? We may be laughed at and ridiculed for discussing heightism. It takes guts to stand up for yourself and others. This is not for the faint of heart. But we believe that this is a cause worth fighting for. We at NOSSA believe that you will discover much about yourself in this journey and the difference you make will inspire others. You just might find that you've made a lasting positive impact on the world. http://www.nossaonline.org/joinus.html

Please Support NOSSA With Your Online Purchases

Help NOSSA by purchasing items at http://www.yellowbrickmall.com:80/nossa.php

NOSSA To Launch United Kingdom Chapter

The National Organization Of Short Statured Adults will soon launch the United Kingdom chapter. Residents of the United Kingdom can now join a UK specific chapter that will be committed to the needs of short statured adults living and working in the UK. The chapter is expected to launch soon and the official website will be located at www.nossaonline.co.uk

Podcast Episode 6 Released

Episode 6 Heightism - NOSSA Vice-President Chris Hamre shares his thoughts on the latest news from the organization. Release date - 06/04/2007. Guests: Chris Hamre. Listen at http://mattfromnossa.libsyn.com

Mass Height/Weight Bill Gains Public Attention

BOSTON - Ellen Frankel stands just 4-foot-8½ inches tall, a size that allowed larger co-workers to playfully scoop her up at the office and make remarks about her height. Some even patted her on the head.

Lawmakers are considering complaints such as hers as they review a bill that would make Massachusetts just the second state to bar discrimination based on height or weight.

"People in authority will very easily make comments about height that they wouldn't make about race or gender," said Frankel, a Marblehead author.

Jeanne Toombs understands the frustration. She says overweight people routinely are discriminated against because of their size.

"It's not fair. No matter what you think of fat people, they deserve to be treated like human beings," said Toombs, 59, a piano teacher who weighs 300 pounds and is on the board of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance.

The proposed law does not define short or fat. It would apply mainly to the workplace but also to landlords and real estate transactions.

Laws in other states
Most states have laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, religion, age, gender and disability. A handful offer protection for gays and lesbians. But only Michigan includes weight and height in its anti-discrimination law.

The District of Columbia also bans discrimination based on appearance, and San Francisco and Santa Cruz, Calif., prohibit weight and height discrimination.

Rep. Byron Rushing, a Boston Democrat who is sponsoring the Massachusetts bill, said the issue is a question of civil rights.

"This is one of the last physical aspects of people that you can acceptably laugh about," said Rushing, who is black, slim and of average height. "You can be a shock jock on the radio and talk about fat people for a solid week and no one would ever think of having you lose your job. It's still acceptable."

Republican analyst Todd Domke is concerned that lawmakers will scare off businesses if they expand protection to include short and overweight workers.

"We might as well add colorblind, left-handed, allergic-to-cashews, and get it over with," Domke said.

Disability argument
Under current state law, people claiming discrimination in the workplace or for housing must prove in court that their weight problem is a disability. But Massachusetts courts usually reject such arguments.

"People can lose weight," said David Yas, publisher of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. "As that line of argument goes, why receive special treatment? There is some of that attitude in the courts, that this should not rise to the level of race and gender, the rights of which are so important to protect."

Rushing proposed a similar bill 10 years ago, but he's more confident of passage now because of an increased awareness of the issues. He expects a hearing this fall.

"Fatter people and shorter people get promoted less. Shorter people make less than their taller counterparts," said Frankel, who published a memoir last fall titled "Beyond Measure."

Toombs does not buy the argument she can simply diet and lose weight.

"I spent 25 years of my life trying to get thin," she said. "All I ever got was fatter, and I felt like a failure. I thought it was my fault, and it wasn't. People come in different sizes, they always have and they always will.

"I haven't robbed a bank. I work with children. I'm doing good in the world."

Power in numbers

Women have NOW. African-Americans have the NAACP. Gays have GLAAD. Even animals have groups looking out for their needs PETA. So who is looking out for the specific needs of short statured people? If you are a little person (you have a medical or genetic condition that usually results in an adult height of 4'10" or shorter) you can turn to LPA. But what if you are taller but still considered short? What about the heightism that you experience each and every day? Well now you have a group ready and willing to speak up for you. The group is called NOSSA - National Organization Of Short Statured Adults. There is power in numbers and we can bring much needed support and attention to the needs of the short statured man or woman. Please join us today! Visit our official website at www.nossaonline.org for more information. Together we will make a difference.

NOSSA Commends Mass. Rep.Byron Rushing

NOSSA has announced Massachusetts State Representative Byron Rushing as the 2007 Activist of the year. Representative Rushing is commended for his drafting of the recent legislation H.3752, a bill which would make it illegal in the state to discriminate against a person based on height or weight. The previous 2006 activist of the year was Steven Goldsmith for his www.shortsupport.org website.

Ellen Frankel To Appear On CBS Early Show

Ellen Frankel LCSW will appear on CBS the Early Show tomorrow morning April 4, 2007 around 8:00 am...It's on heightism and the Hgh issue. Tune in!

Contact Info for EHarmony.com

Contact information for E-Harmony.com:

eHarmony Relationship Site
300 N Lake Ave Ste 1111
Pasadena, CA 91101

626-795-4814, Fax: 626-585-4040

email: suebraden@eharmony.com

Thank You & Welcome To Our New Members!

I just wanted to thank everyone who has sent us warm wishes and positive feedback regarding our recent appearance on CNN with Paula Zahn. We really appreciate it. We welcome all of the new members to NOSSA. Our work is not done. We have only begun....
- Respectfully, Matthew Campisi.

In our opinion - E-Harmony.com Discriminates Against Short Men

We are in receipt of numerous complaints about the dating website - Eharmony.com:

Eharmony most definitely discriminates against shorter men. I applied
ages ago and was told I'm part of the 20 percent they can't match.
Out of curiousity, I decided to try signing up for the site with the same answers,
and different heights. I went once with my real height and my real answers, and got
the same message(despite personal growth in the last year or two, I my legs have
stayed the same). However, with the exact same answers, I set the height as 5'11"
and was immediately welcomed to the site. I think this is very clear proof the site discriminates against short men before they even join, and personally I think there should be legal action taken to bring
this to light. This would NEVER be allowed if a site discriminated on race or
religion, but this has somehow been accepted? I don't think this should be allowed
to continue.

We urge all short statured people to boycott this website until the company ceases this behavior and issues NOSSA a full apology.

NOSSA President To Appear On CNN

NOSSA's President and Chairman of The Board Matthew Campisi and NOSSA Advisor and Author Ellen Frankel will appear on CNN with Paula Zahn in the near future. Check back often for the exact date and time that this episode will air.

Size Counts

by MATTHEW HAYS
When Montreal filmmaker Howard Goldberg set out to make Short and Male, a documentary about attitudes towards men under a certain height, he expected to learn that there are indeed some cultural prejudices around.

But as Goldberg proceeded with his research, he was taken aback to learn that many social scientists and economists have found solid reasons to believe there are deeply-rooted negative biases against the short. Economists, including the late John Kenneth Galbraith, have chimed in on the issue, with the unusually tall Galbraith suggesting that height is one of the few remaining acceptable prejudices. Goldberg learned that height can be an indicator of economic status—indeed, with some studies suggesting that being short has as big an impact as being a member of a racial minority or being a woman.


But Goldberg’s biggest jolt came when he looked into the case of China . In China , discrimination against the short isn’t mere speculation or suspicion—it’s actually written into law. In order to get a driver’s license, you must be of a certain height. You can’t be a judge or a lawyer if you’re under a certain height, and the same goes for getting a coveted post in the civil service. These restrictions are all written into law and continue to be followed carefully by Chinese authorities.


Western standards


Goldberg, who just returned from a two-week shoot in China , says these restrictions have been in place for a long time. But he adds that issues surrounding height are becoming much more complex now that China is going through a phase of massive change and evolving into a modern state.

“What’s most shocking to me is the way the Chinese are taking in Western cultural images. There are huge billboards there, advertisements for things that the new market is offering them. But 90 per cent of the models are not Asian—they’re white and associated with the West. And since the Chinese on average are shorter than their Western counterparts, height has become associated with success, power and economic well-being.”

And Goldberg says he noticed the economic rift between rural and urban first hand. Standing at 5’3”, Goldberg says he was surrounded by people about his height or shorter when he was in the countryside. “The peasants, the farm workers, were shorter. But when I was in the city, I was short again, by comparison. The people in the cities were much taller.”

Economic growth

One of the results, in a new, mean, capitalist China , has been the emergence of a cottage industry of get-tall-quick schemes. As well as elevator shoes (and there are shops that sell nothing but), there were also shoes with magnets in them, herbal remedies and even height-enhancing pills. All of these were sold by merchants who promised results. The government cracked down on the magnets and pills, recognizing their snake-oil status immediately.

But China has become a leader in surgery that allows people to add two or three inches to their height. Goldberg describes the procedure as “excruciating,” and while he interviewed people who were having the process done, such is the extent of shame surrounding being short in China that no one involved would have their face shown on camera.

The surgical procedure goes something like this: the patient’s shins are broken. Then, they are allowed to almost heal. Then they are broken all over again, with the legs stretched ever so slightly. Then the healing is almost done, and the breaking and stretching happens again. Repeat until you’ve added a couple of inches. The procedure takes months and is brutally painful, but people who are desperate to lengthen their prospects sign up for it. “The procedure is really quite amazing,” notes Goldberg, “in that when you heal, your legs are in good shape. You can run, play soccer, do anything you would otherwise.”

Goldberg’s film is taking him across Europe and North America too, and he cautions that though the Chinese laws against the short may seem extreme, anti-short attitudes pervade many cultures. “I have been quite surprised by a lot of the data I’ve come across, and a lot of the stories that people have shared on Web sites. For men, being short is much like being overweight is for women. There remains an acceptable prejudice against shorter people.”

Short and Male, which is produced by Ina Fichman of Instinct Films, will air on CTV in the fall.

Sign The Heightism Petition!

http://www.petitiononline.com/nossa/petition.html

The Young Aide

Heightism at work really frustrates me. Short men are not respected and when they are passive they are literally pushed out of the way and when they are aggressive they are laughed off as another "Napoleon" with a short man's complex. At the end of the day they are rarely treated with the same respect that a tall man is granted innately.

Recently, a co-worker and I had a meeting with a man who was about 5'9-5'10". This is the first time this man had met either of us. My co-worker is a muscular man of about 6'2" tall. My co-worker and I are equals in rank at our position. Anyway, this man completely ignored me throughout the meeting and spoke mostly to my co-worker. He frequently referred to my co-worker as Sir, in an obvious attempt to show his esteem and respect for my co-worker. I kid you not, when he finally turned to speak to me he told me that I needed to do something for him in a nasty tone as if I were merely my co-worker's young aide. This was so blatantly obvious that my co-worker mentioned it after the meeting and found it quite amusing. A frequent response to heightism despite the implications of such a phenomenon.

One person, one state, one issue at a time

Let me begin today with some factual information. Here is a listing of some potential side effects to the HGH treatment.
Acromegaly,
Edema and Fluid Retention,
Liver Damage,
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,
Painful Joints,
Gynecomastia (enlarged breasts in males)
For more information, please follow the link below.
http://www.hgh-pro.com/master.html?http://www.hgh-pro.com/sideeffects.html


And a link to limb lengthening complications.

http://www.limblength.com/pubs/articles/curve/curve.htmtual

During the treatment or procedures, the questions remain, is the treatment or procedure worth the side effects. Even in the best cases, a minimum amount of change is achieved. From 1mm a procedure over many procedures, to an added 2 to three inches through the HGH treatments. From the Documentation, a limb lengthen procedure is to correct an issue to serious injury or chronic infections. Has the modern society determined that an average height can be described as such a physical handicap? Abnormal leg length and one leg shorter than the other due to some traumatic event is one thing, but to be subjected to this procedure simply because of the benefits of height. Without any real medical advantage seems to be unwarranted. The Procedure is a long drawn out process, leaving the patient wheelchair bound for extended periods.

A surgical procedure known as Symmetric extended limb lengthening (ELL). Numerous possible complications of ELL techniques are recognized, including nerve injury, infections, angulations, non union, paralysis, and increased hip flexion leading to dislocation of the hip, predispositions of early osteo-arthritis, re-absorption of bone ends, fractures and unequal limb lengths. Although the acute complication rate associated with ELL has been reduced, it is still substantial. Furthermore the long-term stability of extended limbs, particularly when subjected to physical or hormonal stress (including for example in pregnancy) or their long-term effects on the spine and pelvis are being evaluated but are not yet known. (http://www.sspa.org.au/limb.htm).
Again the complications seem to out number the benefits of the procedure. Today’s world seems to be built on the bigger is better premise. Bigger vehicles, bigger houses, bigger vacation packages. Everywhere we look today it is bigger. Massive SUV’s that can’t even fit into garages, To Burgers that rival towers, buildings stretching into the sky, is there no limit or sense to it all. Mountains tumble, Scrapers can fall. The bigger the building, the more damage if it collapses. But we keep on building higher, and keep on looking for the next “Big thing”.

Before recorded time, there was the big bang theory. Where the entire universe started out of almost nothingness, “God spoke into the darkness and created light”. How can something that started so small grow into what we know of the universe today, and are still expanding.

What does any of this have to do with the subject? All living creatures have a beginning, all movements have a start. Martin Luther King had a dream of equality. Equal treatment for all the races, where brother to brother we could stand together without prejudice. After all, isn’t that what we as NOSSA are trying to achieve. To inform the masses there is an issue. Education and develop of the cause is increasing. WE as short stature adults must take the message to the streets. Talking in chat rooms and message boards is not going to get the message out. I post almost daily to various web based blogs. The word is being passed around; I see it and hear it everyday. We are at the “Big Bang”, where our stance is going to explode onto a national screen. Where we can “Have a Dream”. Equal rights, Equal opportunities. To live life to the fullest.

This topic goes way beyond the interpersonal world. Short Stature men and woman face an uphill climb almost everyday. Be it in the local grocery store to the dance clubs to dating scene, to the business world. The ADA states that companies have to make arrangements to accommodate people with handicaps, within reason. This means supplying step stools, or wheelchair ramps. It is still a problem to have to find a person to get a stepstool, or a ladder.
This issue can also be said for those of extreme weight. Where no accommodations are made to help facilitate needs.

Many people are not convinced there is an issue here at all; this is where we need to educate. “The Today show” was a banner achievement, although it fizzled some in the end, the success was the message made a national stage. We must keep pushing. The equal rights movement is still pressing forward, King’s message had not been lost. We must carry on the same diligence. One person, one state, one issue at a time.

Thank you,

-Michael

HGH

From my earliest memories, I can recall going to the hospital many times, was one of those miracle babies that was born premature with many medical complications, from not being able to make it the first night, to first week, the first month. 37 years later I am still fighting the good fight….Kidney and bladder problems left in the past, and forever shorter than the normal people.

Was during the late 70’s or early 80’s, I had many appointments with endocrinologists, and various other medical professionals to debate about my future. One such treatment option was the use of HGH to help bring me to a normal height. At the time the Professionals had topped me out to about five foot for the rest of my life. The medical complications and side effects were laid out for my family to discuss. I was just a little guy, but I remember this discussion.

The side effects of the HGH were liver damage, heart problems, and other various other medical, All these dangerous life threatening complications for a couple inches of height. In fact the amount of height they could not guarantee was about 2 inches.

The discussion was more or less left up to me, and there I was, a child faced with a life changing decision at an age where most kids are wondering which GI Joe to play with, I was about to make a choice that will forever influence everything in my life . I made the choice, Not to have the treatment, frankly, at the time, I was tired of hospitals, Tired of doctors and just wanted to have a normal childhood. I didn’t want to be in another hospital or see another doctor for as long as I lived. The actual side effects became clearer as I got older.

At an age of under 10, you don’t understand what heart problems are, you don’t understand what liver damage is, or where or what the liver even does. All I knew was that this treatment sounded worse than the positive side. What was 2 inches, if I was lucky to have gained? What is the difference between five foot and five foot two? Not a lot in my book back then and even less now. The world describes a normal male to be of average height of 5’7, the Average female of 5’4. The question is not about the numbers, but about the individual.

Being an active member of the work force it becomes clear that height plays a role in every aspect of professional life, Just look at the various studies done on salary based on employee height, Look at every store a crossed the country, Top shelf is regarded as the good stock, high quality products. To be a top shelf product a higher price also follows. This is the way the world regards height as well.

In the story books of old, we hear or read of the princess being saved by the knight, or the prince. The hero is always Tall, Handsome. Does this suggest that shorter men can not be knights or princes, or that shorter men can not be the hero? Does this also suggest that shorter men can not be physically attractive?

Did the leaders of long ago take any of this into consideration as they traveled the world and conquered cities, probably the last thing on their minds? So in today world how can it be such a moving topic. The answer is very simple. The world has evolved to a state to where the fittest survive , Where it is dog eat dog, and the one with the most toys wins. This being directly correlated to the ones with the best physical tools.

Now, I am the last person to say anyone is better than myself, That is my LEO ego speaking and is very true. Coming from a fighters background and being a natural born leader , I am not going to concede that someone is above me. Given the choice so many years ago, I feel I have made the right choices. And feel it is my job to inspire others to feel good about being who they are , and not strive for goals that are not God intended. If God had wanted me to be a 6 foot wreaking ball, That is what I would have been. There is a reason and purpose behind my height as well as my heart.

HGH was a big decision to turn down, Many feel this strain today. Being short in this world is a tough place to be in, But to be honest, This world is a tough place period. Is it really worth the complications to gain a few inches, Is it worth the hours of rehab, learning to walk again after lengthening surgery. It is really seated in the mental makeup of the individual, Are we going to let the world dictate that in order to successful we have to be a certain height. Or are we going to say tit is time , To make a change. To open the minds of the powers that be, To realize that being who we are is all we are going to be , and will not change our physical appearance to satisfy some “ Normal” Standard. We need to educate the masses , in fact the world, That being tall or skinny , or fat or short does not indicate the person. It is not what we look like that separates us, it is what we do with what we have that makes a difference.

NOSSA has given us a choice, a standing ground and a platform to launch an educational phenomenon. Bring the information to the public, Inspire change. Be a catalyst for improving life for all beings. Equal treatment regardless of height.

In the coming weeks, Months and years, I will be doing my best to spark an interest, and motivate those with a voice but without a platform. Those with an interest in joining or supporting this cause. Do some research of your own, Please visit or site. http://nossaonline.org/nossa.html. Speak up and speak out. Discrimination is a real issue. Medical cures are also a painstaking issue for people of shorter height.

Until the next issue, Peace.

-Michael

Committee Positions Now Open

NOSSA has released the list of all open committee positions for the remainder of the Board's term (2006-2010). Voting Members of NOSSA may now apply for committee positions by contacting NOSSA and expressing their interest. For a list of all open positions go to: http://nossaonline.org/specialcommittees.html