Bars in New York City are no longer allowed to refuse service to pregnant women when they ask for alcohol. The city has defended these women's rights noting that they should not be kicked out of a bar.
According to People, the New York City Human Rights Commission released the new guidelines on Friday. They said that they want to eliminate discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace and when they are out in public. The commission added that they aim to eliminate policies that are singling out pregnant individuals.
The document showing the guidelines added that unlawful policies they want to eliminate include categorically excluding pregnant workers from specific job categories or positions, denying entrance to pregnant individuals to certain public accommodations and refusing to serve certain food or drinks to pregnant individuals or those who are perceived as pregnant.
The new guidelines also said that "judgments and stereotypes about how pregnant individuals should behave, their physical capabilities, and what is or is not healthy for a fetus are pervasive in our society" should not be used as pretext for unlawful discriminatory decisions, SELF reported.
The Commission also gave specific examples in the documents they have released. They said that pregnant women facing discrimination include situations such as restaurant policies resulting to staff not serving pregnant individuals with raw fish or alcohol, The New York Times reported. They also cited a bouncer denying a pregnant individual entrance to a bar.
The commission said they investigated at least one case of a pregnant woman who was denied entry to a bar due to moral judgments. Another case says that woman was refused to enter a concert in the Bronx after she was told that the environment for the pregnant woman is not safe.
Despite the new guidelines, bars are still required to post warning that drinking during pregnancy could lead to birth defects.
