FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2015
Contact:
Cathy Renna, 917-757-6123, cathy@targetcue.com
Re: New York’s Governor Cuomo announcing an executive order intended to protect transgender people from discrimination in housing, employment and other areas. The announcement will be made this evening at a dinner for the Empire State Pride Agenda.
THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO MARA KEISLING, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSGENDER EQUALITY
“This is a step forward for transgender rights.
Governor Cuomo is the first governor to exercise this power, and while we are anxious to see the draft rules, we fully support this approach given the current lack of clear legal protections for transgender people under New York law. The U.S. Justice Department and many Federal courts and agencies, including the Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have also affirmed that sex discrimination laws include protections for transgender people.
This action by Governor Cuomo provides recourse for transgender people until Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) is passed. Passing GENDA is still necessary and urgent, because employers and businesses must be aware of the law. GENDA will do that by explicitly adding the term “gender identity or expression” into the existing statute, a necessary step to fully fight the discrimination that transgender people face on a daily basis.
This action today makes New York a safer place for transgender people. It makes it safer for transgender young people in school, transgender people trying to make a fair wage and support their families, and transgender people simply trying to live free from discrimination and violence.
Despite recent positive media attention of the transgender community, the daily experience of a typical transgender person is still one of harassment, discrimination, and far too often, violence. We are hopeful that these actions by Governor Cuomo will improve the climate of New York workplaces, schools, and businesses and will make life better for transgender people.”
The National Center for Transgender Equality is the nation’s leading social justice advocacy organization winning life-saving change for transgender people.
October 22, 2015
Contact:
Cathy Renna, 917-757-6123, cathy@targetcue.com
Re: New York’s Governor Cuomo announcing an executive order intended to protect transgender people from discrimination in housing, employment and other areas. The announcement will be made this evening at a dinner for the Empire State Pride Agenda.
THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO MARA KEISLING, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSGENDER EQUALITY
“This is a step forward for transgender rights.
Governor Cuomo is the first governor to exercise this power, and while we are anxious to see the draft rules, we fully support this approach given the current lack of clear legal protections for transgender people under New York law. The U.S. Justice Department and many Federal courts and agencies, including the Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have also affirmed that sex discrimination laws include protections for transgender people.
This action by Governor Cuomo provides recourse for transgender people until Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) is passed. Passing GENDA is still necessary and urgent, because employers and businesses must be aware of the law. GENDA will do that by explicitly adding the term “gender identity or expression” into the existing statute, a necessary step to fully fight the discrimination that transgender people face on a daily basis.
This action today makes New York a safer place for transgender people. It makes it safer for transgender young people in school, transgender people trying to make a fair wage and support their families, and transgender people simply trying to live free from discrimination and violence.
Despite recent positive media attention of the transgender community, the daily experience of a typical transgender person is still one of harassment, discrimination, and far too often, violence. We are hopeful that these actions by Governor Cuomo will improve the climate of New York workplaces, schools, and businesses and will make life better for transgender people.”
The National Center for Transgender Equality is the nation’s leading social justice advocacy organization winning life-saving change for transgender people.
