Today, the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly each passed the Gender Expression Nondiscrimination Act (GENDA) (Bill S.1047-Hoylman/A.747-Gottfried). Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a strong supporter of GENDA, is expected to sign the bill into law. Rev. Jason J. McGuire, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms (NYCF), made the following remarks:
“Falsehoods never form the basis of good public policy, and GENDA is based on several falsehoods.“
“The key falsehood underlying this deeply misguided bill is the notion that the State of New York should consider gender dysphoria an identity to be affirmed, not a psychiatric condition to be compassionately treated. Based on this flawed notion, GENDA will require employers, landlords, and places of public accommodation across the State of New York to treat ‘gender identity or expression’ as a protected civil rights category like race, sex, and religion.”
“What does this mean? It means state law will now require places of public accommodation to allow biological males that identify as ‘transgender’ to enter women-only spaces, including locker rooms and restrooms. It means that employers must allow ‘transgender’ employees to cross-dress and use opposite-sex facilities in the workplace. It means that the preferences of ‘transgender’ persons now take precedence over the privacy and safety of actual women and girls. And it means that the State is tacitly encouraging persons with gender dysphoria to embrace a ‘transgender’ identity (which, in some cases, involves dangerous and unnecessary surgeries and hormone treatments). All of this is unacceptable. While the sponsors of GENDA doubtless believe that their bill is motivated by compassion for ‘transgender’ persons, the bill shows a curious lack of compassion toward New Yorkers who will be adversely affected by its contents.”
“New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms has lobbied against the passage of GENDA for over a decade. While today’s outcome is not what we hoped for, we are thankful for the opportunity to speak the truth on this important issue. We urge all New Yorkers to treat persons identifying as ‘transgender’—as well as everyone else—with dignity and respect, but to recognize that each person’s true gender identity as a male or a female is not chosen or changeable.”