New York passes comprehensive transgender protection law, LGBTQ youth protections

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Official photo.

New York Democrats have tried for years to pass statewide protections for transgender persons. The bill, known as the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, or GENDA, was first introduced in 2003, as a response to the state’s Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA).

SONDA passed that year, after protections for gender identity and expression were removed. That action has angered transgender activists ever since.

GENDA passed the state Assembly, controlled by Democrats, every year since 2008. But the Republican Senate refused to pass it. Now, with Democrats winning a Senate majority in the mid-term elections, the bill was able to move through the Senate as well.

The bill passed the Assembly 100-40 and the Senate 42-19. It goes to Gov. Andrew Cuomo who is expected to sign it into law.

In addition to GENDA, the legislature also passed legislation protecting LGBTQ youth in the state from the dangerous so-called “conversion therapy”. The “therapy” has been widely discredited by professionals in the field of mental health.

Luca Maurer, the Program Director for the Center for LGBT Education, Outreach & Services at Ithaca College, was “amazed”. Maurer told LGBTQNationa.com, “It is just amazing. As a person who has been involved for a very long time, since before the previous SONDA act was prosed and passed, this is amazing news.

“I’m having a lot of different feelings, but I’m over all I’m feeling overwhelming gratitude. I’m happy I was able to play a small part, but we stand in the shoulder of those who came before us, and the tremendous sacrifices of so many other transgender people before us.”

New York Gov. Cuomo commented on the passage of GENDA, saying in a statement, "At a time when the federal government is doing everything it can to roll back the hard won rights of transgender Americans, New York State is once again stepping up for full equality and equal protections under the law. We were the first state in the nation to issue regulations prohibiting harassment and discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression, and continue to fight this federal administration's despicable attacks on trans people. This is an issue of basic fairness, and today marks an historic day for those in the LGBTQ community who fought tirelessly for the passage of this bill. I applaud the Legislature for acting quickly to pass this critical component of our Justice Agenda.”

Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin hailed the passage of the laws, saying, “Today’s historic action in New York is the result of years of hard work and it is a vivid illustration of the importance of electing pro-equality lawmakers. Due to the efforts of countless advocates and leaders, transgender New Yorkers will now be explicitly protected from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and LGBTQ youth will be protected from the dangerous, debunked practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy.’ This is a monumental day for fairness and equality across the Empire State.”

“While 22 states have at least partial LGBTQ protections, three — Wisconsin, New York, and Utah — lacked full protections until today, with the win in New York reducing that number by one. Nevertheless, 28 states lack any statewide LGBTQ protections,” LGBTQNation reported.

“Much of existing civil rights law has been used to protect people at the Federal level, there is no specific language protecting LGBTQ people, and the issue of existing coverage remains hotly contested under the current administration.”

The New York win is a major victory, and as Griffin noted, shows the effect of electing pro-equality legislators.

You can view the complete bill here.

Copyright The Gayly – January 15, 2019 @ 3:40 p.m. CST.