LeGaL Outraged by the NYS Senate’s Shameful Refusal to Protect Transgender New Yorkers. We Aren’t Done Fighting!

A GOP-controlled New York State Senate committee on Tuesday rejected the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) along party lines. GENDA adds “gender identity or expression” to the language of the existing NYS Human Rights Law that protects against discrimination in the areas of employment, health care, housing, public transportation, public accommodations, and credit.

We are outraged, but we aren’t done fighting! There are now 20 states that have laws banning discrimination and harassment against transgender individuals. New York is not one of them.

We applaud the Assembly, our allies in the New York State Senate, and the bill’s NYS Senate sponsor, Senator Brad Hoylman, for standing up and fighting hard for transgender civil rights.

At a time when the Trump Administration is attacking transgender people, including students and service members, passing GENDA is more critical than ever! Last week, the Republican-controlled New Hampshire legislature passed a similar bill to protect transgender people from discrimination in certain settings.

As an organization comprised of attorney members, many of whom also provide pro bono legal services through our foundation’s legal clinics, we are especially mindful of the discrimination frequently experienced by members of the transgender community. It is time for all New Yorkers to be protected from shameful discrimination.

T