December 20, 2006
Oakland, CA - The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance would like to respond to the exchange between Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump on national television. Their behavior is so immature and unprofessional that at first it lead us to wonder if it might be a publicity stunt to gain attention for The View, The Apprentice and the Miss USA Pageant. Both of these intelligent, successful people serve as role models and their behavior is inexcusable. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Rosie attacked Donald's appearance when she swept her hair to one side mocking Donald's comb-over hairstyle and rather than be the bigger man, Donald attacked Rosie's physical appearance by calling her fat. We in NAAFA are not offended by the use of the word fat as a descriptor but do find it offensive when one uses it as a weapon of personal attack.
Whether or not Mr. Trump has prejudice toward or issues with fat people in general, only Mr. Trump can say. It is a sad fact that many individuals perceive people of size as less intelligent or less capable than their slim counterparts. They use their prejudice as an excuse to discriminate against people of size. It is NAAFA's goal to put an end to this discrimination.
Rosie and Donald both need a time out as their behavior on several occasions of late has been less than intelligent and adult. During this season of peace and goodwill, it saddens us to see two of our country's notable celebrities acting in such an unseemly way.
Founded in 1969, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.
On the web: http://www.naafa.org
For more information contact:
Peggy Howell, Public Relations Chairman
National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA)
e-mail: naafa_pr@yahoo.com phone: (707)246-6116