Lookism, the discrimination we ignore.

Some types of discrimination are less subtle than others. Some affect more people or groups. Some are very dangerous. But there’s types of discrimination that we barely talk about because “it’s not cool” to do so.

You know that feeling when you’re with a group of friends and people notice one/s instead of the others? Or when you’re trying for a job, you go prepared, but they end up hiring the one that wasn’t as qualified but looked better? Or when that very talented person you know doesn’t manage to be successful in the entertainment industry, or any similar industry, because of their looks? Yes, that’s lookism. Discrimination based on physical attractiveness. Sounds cartoonish, but it’s a real thing.

We live in a society were most of us agree that racism, sexism and homophobia are bad. We are also starting to recognize how ableism can damage disabled people’s lives. The trans movement is finally going mainstream. Then why is it something we ignore, or we laugh at when people talk about being discriminated because of their looks?

There are entire industries based on putting people on pedestals because of how they look. People change their appearance because of it. Others deal with eating disorders because of it. Some feel rejected or unloved because of it. Sure, you can try to say “it’s a natural thing” as “animals do it too”. But we’re supposed to be more evolved than that. We don’t need to breed with the strongest or wealthiest individuals of our species to survive. We thrive as a species. We just have sex for fun, mostly. So when are we going to realize as a society that we’re past all of this? It’s okay if you want to put a good looking person to sell your product, but is it really the only way to sell it?

There’s examples of “not traditionally attractive” people being successful on their fields, be it actors, singers or people on entertainment, and also on other fields that focus less on looks. But they’re not really the norm, just the exception. The model industry has changed a lot in the past few years, including more and more models from different backgrounds and body-types. But has it really changed? There’s more diversity, but not more “ugly models” (for a lack of a better expression). Even if your career isn’t based on looks, your image still plays an important role for most jobs. You have to dress well, you have to project a certain image (it’s mostly class related biases that we still have) while also looking as good as you physically can. You have to meet certain social expectations. All that in order to get the job over the other candidates. But studies show there’s a decent chance the more attractive person will get the job.

This discrimination is usually less direct or dangerous than the likes of sexism and racism, but it still impacts lives on a daily basis. We need to start a conversation as a society in order to really include everyone. We must treat every individual with the same respect and give them the same options we give everyone else. There’s really big issues in the center of the social conversation right now, but we won’t reach true equality until we add lookism and other lesser-known forms of discrimination to every talk about intersectionality. Maybe by 2030…