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Dwarf tossing in Washington state
Published:2019-02-01 State
Dwarf tossing in Washington state By Madeline Coats OLYMPIA — A proposed bill would ban the exploitation of dwarfs at commercial establishments in Washington state. "To me, it comes down to basic common decency," said Padden. Dwarfism can be caused by heredity, endocrine dysfunction, renal deficiency or skeletal disease that results in disproportionate short stature and an adult height of less than four feet, ten inches tall, the bill states. Peter Reckendorf is a resident of Everett and testified on behalf of his own personal experiences and fears as a little person. Reckendorf is a physical assault survivor and currently in recovery from an emergency back surgery. "I am so scared to walk the streets of Washington state, unknowing what’s around the corner," he said. Reckendorf constantly lives in fear of being randomly picked up without his consent. Common recreational events include dwarf tossing and bowling. While these spectator activities require the voluntary consent of dwarfs, Florida and New York have banned these forms of entertainment at commercial establishments that sell alcoholic beverages, according to SB 5486. This bill would prohibit any holder of a retail liquor license from holding contests or promotions which exploit and endanger people with dwarfism. Violations may result in the loss or suspension of a liquor or business license and fines up to $1,000 per event. Deana Harris, president of the Puget Sound chapter of Little People of America is the custodial grandmother of a 12-year-old boy with dwarfism. She aims to spread awareness for a group of people who are marginalized by society. "To truly achieve their civil liberties and equality, little people must not be seen as mere objects for sport," said Harris. "This sort of objectification can only result in physical and emotional harm." "In dwarf tossing, the little person is just a piece of athletic equipment, just like a ball," he said. "When I play sports, I am the athlete, not the equipment. I am human." Dwarf-tossing, or midget-tossing, is a pub/bar attraction in which people with dwarfism, wearing special padded clothing or Velcro costumes, are thrown onto mattresses or at Velcro-coated walls. Participants compete to throw the person with dwarfism the farthest. Wikipedia
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