Remind Senator of Former Commitment to Trans Rights
(Long Island, NY) The Long Island Transgender Advocacy Coalition (LITAC) strongly criticizes comments made by GOP Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan when he said he believed Gov. Andrew Cuomo overstepped his authority earlier in the month when Cuomo used executive action to expand legal protections for transgender people.
LITAC Executive Director Juli Grey-Owens said “Senator Flanagan needs to take a look in the mirror. His recent comments regarding Governor Cuomo overstepping his authority belies the fact that he has told constituents for years the he would vote for the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) if it ever came to the floor for a vote. The bill has been passed by the State Assembly eight years in a row yet the Senate has failed even to bring the bill to the floor! In the meantime, transgender citizens face rampant discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations – like being refused a seat in a restaurant.”
Grey-Owens continued “This year as Majority Leader, Flanagan had the ability to bring the GENDA bill to the floor for a vote in a non-election year but failed to do so. It was this blatant refusal to consider civil rights for a severely oppressed community that forced the Governor to act. Perhaps it’s time for Senator Flanagan to re-evaluate his stance on civil rights. His failure to support Marriage Equality in 2011 was a major embarrassment. His non-support for GENDA continues this disturbing trend. It is time to elect someone who will stand with LGBT people, not against them. If he is not going to stand up for all New Yorkers, we will fight to elect someone else who will in 2016.”
Governor Cuomo announced the Executive Action at the Empire State Pride Agenda Fall Dinner on October 22nd. Cuomo said that he would direct the State Division of Human Rights to issue regulations that would extend protections against discrimination in the areas of housing, employment and public accommodations. The plan would cover all New Yorkers.
LITAC, the Long Island Transgender Advocacy Coalition is a not-for-profit social justice organization dedicated to advancing the equality of transgender people through advocacy, teaching and empowerment.
