A force of “compassion” threatens Colorado’s obese community. Call it the Victims’ Paradox, as proposed laws to help the obese will more likely harm them.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 – after surviving a 72-day filibuster led by Senate Democrats – criminalized discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, and national origin in housing and other places of public accommodation.

Civil rights, essential to capitalism, are a major reason people around the globe risk their lives breaking into the United States. They want a fair set of rules to live and work by without the interference of prejudice and hatred.

Nobody wins when governments or economies reject individuals because of personal traits. Without civil rights, the American economy and way of life would be generations behind what we see today.

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Being Black, Brown, Jewish, gay or Chinese is not the same as being obese. The former are examples of immutable race, color, religion, gender and/or national origin. Obesity is a physiological condition caused by a litany of genetic and behavioral factors that affect calories consumed and burned.

Because Colorado long has topped lists of the healthiest and leanest states, our landlords, employers, merchants, and service providers seldom encounter obesity. Colorado’s obesity rate of 24% (the country’s lowest) compares with West Virginia’s 41%.

Despite the low prevalence of obesity, Colorado legislators are prepping two bills to outlaw weight-based discrimination by employers, colleagues, housing providers, schools, school bullies and more. It’s part of a growing “fat acceptance movement,” which began with a 1967 protest of 500 people in New York’s Central Park.

Colorado’s obesity proposals elicit obvious concerns, such as lawsuits in retaliation for disparaging remarks about weight. This could easily backfire by making obese people a liability. Prospective employers might avoid hiring the obese for fear that someone might tell a fat joke.

No one should change their skin color, religious identity, gender identity or nationality to appease racists, bullies and bigots. Being Black, Native, Mexican, or gay is not a problem to fix.

We cannot say the same about obesity, a deadly condition that can and should be mitigated by those who suffer from it – hopefully with the support of those who care about them. The University of Colorado, which hosts the Colorado Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the Anschutz campus, released a report last year that found overweight populations have a 22% higher mortality risk than fit populations.

Victim status for the obese might discourage schools and employers from helping overweight children and adults to get healthy. Any diet or exercise advice could be taken as fat shaming. Victim stature likely would lower incentives for the obese to lose weight.

There is no doubt these proposed laws would be abused if enacted. An employee fired for a good cause will have a new motive to call the boss a fat bigot.

No one should pick on, disparage or otherwise mistreat or harass the obese. That doesn’t mean we need another codified victim class to feed identity politics and foment division.

Colorado Springs Gazette Editorial Board