Today politicians, faith leaders, law enforcement officials, transgender advocates, and their friends and family members gathered for a special public forum on GENDA, New York State’s oft forgotten civil rights bill. Hosted by Senator Daniel Squadron and Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, the forum was held in hopes of building momentum toward getting the gender expression non-discrimination act passed next year.
Held at 250 Broadway in the Senate Hearing Room, Senator Tom Duane—who has been a longtime GENDA supporter—opened the forum by noting, “It’s a real shame that we even have to have this forum to educate others about the need for protections for all transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers, even after all these years.” Senator Duane went on to note that when he was supportive of the passing of the “Dignity for All Students Act,” that the world didn’t collapse and students weren’t suddenly attacked in bathrooms.
This same sentiment—the absolute lack of a purported doomsday when extending protections to transgender and gender non-conforming individuals—was shared by other speakers at today’s forum. In fact, the Albany Chief of Police Steven Krokoff, and the Rochester Chief of Police, James Sheppard, testified that unequivocally, the passage of gender protections did not increase crime in their cities. Rather, Chief Krokoff noted that the lack of protections for the transgender and gender non-conforming community could potentially increase crime, if assault or harassment or stalking goes unreported. “When you have a group of individuals who are afraid to report crimes, it makes it difficult for [the police] to address trends or patterns of crime,” said Krokoff.
Other notable testimony included Melissa Sklarz, a longtime transgender activist and Director of NY Trans Rights Organization, who talked about the wonder she experienced when she realized she was not alone and that there were other transgender women just like her. She relayed the story of how, when she was living as a man, he told her coworkers how he was thinking of transitioning, and how she was fired one month later from a job she had competently held for over eight years. She stressed, “It’s not extra protections that we want, just the same protections that most other New Yorkers already receive.”
Additionally, Joanne Borden, who transitioned in her 70s, told her very moving story about how she too didn’t know there were other transgender people like her until she 77 years old. “I remember wanting so desperately to walk in public as a woman, that I hired an escort—a bodyguard—to protect me in case someone tried to hurt me.”
Above all, it was evident throughout each person’s testimony how GENDA could dramatically change their lives. Senator Daniel Squadron, the bill’s sponsor, asked a few panelists, “To what extent do legal protections make you feel safe about living your lives openly?”
Sklarz responded, “Having these legal protections is the difference between having recourse to the law should anything happen to us.” Borden agreed, adding, “The biggest problem is the fear of discrimination and being afraid to go to the police when there aren’t these specific protections for us. When we don’t have these protections, we become fearful and avoid contact with the law.”
You can watch the full hearing at http://tiny.cc/GENDAForum/Live.
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