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Governor David Paterson has signed an Executive Order prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and expression for state employees.  Now all state employees are legally protected against workplace discrimination.  The Pride Agenda has been working with the Governor’s Office on this important issue since Governor Spitzer was elected in 2006 and has continued to work on it with Governor Paterson, and we are proud that the Governor has taken this important step toward ensuring equal protection for all.

In a statement released just moments ago, Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle said, “This Executive Order sends a strong message that it is simply not acceptable to discriminate against someone because they fail to live up to another person’s expectations on whether they act masculine or feminine enough.  Hiring and promoting decisions should be made based upon qualifications and performance and not on anything else. New York now begins to catch up to where many other states have been for quite a while.”

Seven other states currently have similar Executive Orders protecting public employees, and 12 states and the District of Columbia have comprehensive laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and expression. New York’s Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA)—twice passed by the State Assembly and now before the State Senate—would amend the state’s human rights law to prohibit discrimination based upon gender identity and expression in employment (both public and private sectors), housing, public accommodations and credit. It also expands the state’s hate crimes law to explicitly include crimes against transgender people.

As we continue our work to make New York’s protections for transgender people even more inclusive by passing GENDA in the New Year, it’s crucial that we thank Governor Paterson now for this important Executive Order and for his relentless support of the LGBT community. Please take this opportunity to send the message below to the Governor. Feel free to edit the email with your own words of thanks.