Florida congressman (state representative) Ritch Workman of Melbourne wants to bring back the sport of dwarf tossing. Florida Statute 561.665, passed in 1989, bans bars from sponsoring the event, saying that dwarf tossing is “exploitation endangering the health, safety, and welfare of people with dwarfism.”
Will dwarf tossing return?
Regarding the ban, Workman said:
To me it’s an archaic kind of Big Brother law that says, “We don’t like that activity.” Well, there is nothing immoral or illegal about that activity. All we really did by passing that law was take away some employment from some little people.
Gary Arnold, president of Little People of America, supports the current ban, saying “The ban on dwarf tossing protects the entire dwarf community.”
Dwarf tossing is said to have originated in Australia in the 1980s. The Dwarf Throwing World Championship took place in 1986, in which (I kid you not) which took place some time in 1986. Midgets put on safety gear and helmets, and then were thrown a distance by amateur boxer or weight lifting types. The victory went to Roy “Cuddles” Merrin, who tossed Lenny the Giant (get it? cuz he’s the opposite!) a distance of 12 feet 9 inches.
Dwarf tossing has also been banned in the small town of Morsang-sur-Orge in France, on the grounds that “the activity did not respect human dignity and was thus contrary to public order.” In 2007, an attempt to hold a dwarf tossing contest in Manchester, England was called off after a huge public outcry.
Other Sources: NBC Miami, Twisted Edge
