Fallon Melillo was turned away from a party bus because of her size.
A woman's video detailing her experience of being discriminated against because of her weight has reignited the discussion around body image and beauty standards on social media. On Monday, Fallon Melillo, 27, shared a TikTok video in which she described how she was turned away from boarding a party bus because of her size. In the video, Ms Melillo explained that she was in Miami, Florida, with a group of friends when the incident occurred.
The group decided to visit Daer dayclub on July 31. They purchased party bus tickets that would transport them to the club. However, after purchasing the tickets through a third-party service on Eventbrite, Ms Melillo noticed the company's Eventbrite listing had a disclaimer stating that "No big girls" were allowed.
"Sorry no big girls for this party!" the listing read. "The doorman is very strict on appearance. If you have had problems getting into exclusive clubs before then this is not for you! Please don't waste your time nor ours thinking that we can get you inside if you know you do not meet the qualifications."
According to the Independent, the listing has since been removed.
In her video, Ms Melillo revealed that she and her friends reached out to the club, which said it would not discriminate based on size. However, when they attempted to board the party bus that would take them to the club, they were turned away because of her weight.
"We ended up going there and they turned us away at the door because I am plus-size, as you can see, I'm bigger than the average girl, and they decided to tell us that we can't get on the party bus," she said, branding the whole experience as "very embarrassing."
"Being turned away in front of other people because of how I look and my size was absolutely humiliating," she told BuzzFeed. "I was embarrassed and shocked, to say the least. Even though I know I am beautiful on the inside and out, this moment made me feel helpless. This is what every plus-size person fears - being turned away from an event because of how we look."
In her video, Ms Melillo urged her viewers to not use the service. "If you see this video, I am begging you, take an Uber, look for a different company that doesn't discriminate against marginalised bodies in society," she said.
Her video has gone viral with over half a million views on TikTok. Since her story gained attention, thousands of people have come forward to voice their support.
"Wow. How incredibly cruel. You are BEAUTIFUL!" wrote one person on Instagram. "Miami has some of the worst party prejudice places in the country," another remarked.
In a follow-up post, Ms Melillo called out the unrealistic body standards that women are subjected to. "The unrealistic body image in today's society that people must attain is disgusting and damaging to young girls and women," she wrote.
"We need to continue to talk about the hate marginalized bodies face in society. We have a lot of work to do."
Since the video went viral, the party bus's Eventbrite listing page has been taken down, although Ms Melillo points out that several other such services continue to operate with similar disclaimers.
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