For Immediate Release May 1, 2002 ANTI-VIOLENCE PROJECT APPLAUDS MAYOR BLOOMBERG'S SIGNING OF TRANSGENDER BILL INTO LAW
New York, April 30 - Today, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed a bill into law extending civil rights protection to people of transgender experience. This comes less than a week after the New York City Council voted on the measure 45-5. New York City is now the 42nd jurisdiction in the country to extend basic human rights protections to transgender people in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodation.
"This passage of this ordinance is especially critical given the continuing uncertainty of the efficacy of protections based on sexuality for transgender people," said Richard Haymes, the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project's (AVP) executive director.
"Reports of violence and harassment against transgender people in New York rose almost 9% from 2000 to 2001, and 140% in the last four years," continued Haymes. "It was an absolute necessity that they be added to the City's human rights law. It is unfortunate that we could not have been forward thinking enough to have added 'gender identity' and 'gender expression,' when the law was originally drafted," continued Haymes.
"The irony of having to go back and add gender identity and expression to this or any other law that also protects lesbians and gay men is that it was the transgender community that actually spearheaded the modern gay rights and liberation movement at the Stonewall Inn in 1969," Esther Bonet Maldonado, AVP's Bias-Related Violence Program Coordinator. "Given that, it 's important to note the incredible level of advocacy of the transgender activists and organizations that worked so tirelessly to make this happen," said Maldonado. "Additionally, we know that this would not have happened without the leadership and support of allies both within the lesbian and gay community and in the City Council such as Bill Perkins, Margarita Lopez, Christine Quinn and Phil Reed," concluded Maldonado.
"It's also important to note the leadership of Council Speaker Miller in moving this legislation to passage so quickly after assuming the Speaker's chair," said Haymes. "Finally, as with most legislative victories, this is not an end, but a beginning. Now the work must be done to encourage those in the transgender community who suffer discrimination to report it and make the City truly accountable for the rights of all of its citizens," concluded Haymes.
The New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP) is the nation's largest crime-victim service agency for the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and HIV-affected communities. For twenty years, AVP has provided counseling and advocacy for thousands of victims of bias-motivated violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, HIV-related violence, and police misconduct. AVP educates the public about violence against or within our communities and works to reform public policies impacting all lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and HIV-affected people.
AVP provides free and confidential assistance to crime victims through our 24-hour bilingual hotline (212-714-1141).
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