Living in California forces people to often defend the place's sometimes ridiculous image to outsiders. No, not everybody survives on a tofu diet. No, we all don't have daily aromatherapy treatments. And, yes, even here people are rude to one another.
But then something like this happens.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted on Monday to outlaw discrimination against fat people. Well, of course they didn't really say fat people because that might reek of. . . discrimination. They voted to add the words "body size" to already existing laws banning discrimination based on "race, colour, religion, age, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, disability, place of birth or gender identity". The vote was a big victory for America's Fat Acceptance movement, which has scored similar legislative victories in Washington and Santa Cruz, California.
"This gives people the legal basis to fight discrimination they face every day," said Ms Sondra Solovay, a movement activist.
Other activists claimed the legislation is part of the first step in changing the way the US views fat people. They want airline seats enlarged, for example.
"Fat people can no longer be told they can't have a job just because they don't have front office appeal," said Ms Nancy Gold. "The law can do that. And that's how racism was changed, that's how sexism was changed, and that's how sizeism is going to change."
The brouhaha in San Francisco was inadvertently triggered by a billboard advertisement by 24 Hour Fitness, a health club chain. In 1999, the club ran adverts showing a huge alien face with the words, "When They Come, They Will Eat the Fat Ones First."
The potential Martian food sources were not amused and picketed the club until it withdrew the adverts and offered an apology.
Marilyn Wann, activist and author of the book Fat! So? said: "There are a lot of fat jokes, but the stereotypes really stand in the way for a lot of people. It's really important for fat people to stand up for themselves."
Not everyone fully supports the motives behind the fat acceptance movement, although most defend an end to discrimination. The San Francisco Examiner wrote: "The fat rights movement shouldn't discourage sensible attempts to control the obesity blamed for heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure and approximately 300,000 deaths per year."
None the less, sizeism is now officially banned in San Francisco. Good news for those of us now headed off to a sumptous lunch of . . . tofu.