The Unconstitutional Laws Against Being Ugly

For over a century, American cities enforced laws that literally made it a crime to be visibly disabled or poor in public. These ordinances aimed to hide unsightly people from view to preserve the comfort of others.

Known as ugly laws, these regulations allowed police to arrest anyone whose physical appearance was deemed disgusting or deformed. Ironically, the only time these individuals were permitted in public was if they were being displayed as examples of people in need of reformation. These measures forced many vulnerable citizens into hiding or institutionalization to avoid legal punishment. It was not until the mid-1970s that the last of these discriminatory statutes were finally removed.