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Equality
for all: transgender activists.Photo
by John Whipple
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If
at First You Don’t Succeed
After
being excluded from a landmark gay-rights bill last year,
transgender New Yorkers are fighting back. On Monday, close
to three dozen activists lobbied the Legislature for the Gender
Expression Non-Discrimination Act. Passage of the bill would
make it illegal, under New York state humans-rights law, to
discriminate against people based on gender identity or expression
in employment, housing, education and credit.
“Persons
of transgender experience,” said Sen. Thomas Duane (D-WF-Manhattan),
“and those who do not conform to a perceived stereotypical
gender identity or behavior, do not deserve to be denied basic
human rights. I am proud of this legislation and will do everything
in my power to see that this becomes law in the near future.”
Last year’s passage of the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination
Act, which took 31 years to be signed into law, made it illegal
under the human-rights law to discriminate against people
because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or straight. There
was no explicit inclusion for transgender people in the bill’s
language, leaving many without the same protection as other
New Yorkers. The state’s largest gay-rights advocacy group,
Empire State Pride Agenda, would not include transgender language
in SONDA for fear that it would kill the bill’s chance of
passing, causing quite a rift between ESPA and many transgender
people. But on Monday, that seemed to be water under the bridge,
as representatives from ESPA, along with transgender advocates
and the bill’s two sponsors, Duane in the Senate and Assemblyman
Richard Gottfried (D-WF- Manhattan), introduced the legislation.
“While
current law may provide some protection from such discrimination,”
said Ross Levi, legislative counsel for ESPA, “the Pride Agenda
wholeheartedly feels that New York’s human-rights statutes
should be amended so that it is crystal clear that no New
Yorker will be held back because of the way he or she expresses
gender or sex.”
At this point in New York state, only Buffalo, New York City,
Rochester and Suffolk County have transgender- inclusion anti-discrimination
provisions in their human-rights statutes, while nationally,
Minnesota and Rhode Island are the only states to have enacted
such legislation.
—Nancy
Guerin
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Photo
by Teri Currie
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Silence
Speaks Volumes
Thousands
of students and faculty members across the nation took a vow
of silence last Wednesday [April 9] to make a stand against
discrimination in schools against lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender students. Instead of speaking, participants handed
out note cards explaining the reason for their silence. Locally,
18 school districts participated in the event. A rally called
Breaking the Silence took place at the Egg, where students
had the chance to speak out about their experiences. The Student
Theater Outreach Program (pictured) performed at the rally
along with various other artists, musicians, poets and activists.
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