Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced he has signed an Executive Order to further protect New Yorkers' civil rights by banning all state agencies and authorities from doing business with companies that promote or tolerate discrimination. The Governor also announced he will be advancing legislation that will ban the use of a "Gay Panic" defense to protect against revictimizing New Yorkers. Someone who attacks another based upon a perception, or discovery of, that victim's gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation must be stopped from mitigating guilt by placing blame on the victim. The Governor made the announcements at the 17th Annual Human Rights Gala in New York City.
"New York will fight every action this federal administration takes that attempts to undo progress we have made," Governor Cuomo said. "We believe America was founded on the premise of uniting people from different countries, religions, and colors, and we welcome diversity under the enlightened understanding that it is not a weakness but rather our greatest strength. With this executive order, New York reaffirms our commitment to protecting the rights of everyone. We will enforce our robust protections against discrimination, and continue to build on our legacy of protecting all of us, not simply some of us."
The Human Rights Campaign Senior Vice President JoDee Winterhof said, "In a recent HRC survey, nearly two-thirds of LGBTQ people reported having experienced some form of discrimination. By taking action to block discrimination in contracting, Governor Cuomo is once again leading by example to help protect LGBTQ workers and ensure that New Yorkers' taxpayer dollars don't fund discrimination. We are grateful to Governor Cuomo for his efforts and continued commitment to accelerating progress toward full LGBTQ equality."
The Trump administration has banned transgender people from serving in the U.S. Military, removed guidance nationwide that helped protect young transgender students at school, and completely removed the LGBTQ community from the National Survey of Older Americans. Additionally, in October 2017, the federal government rescinded a contraceptive coverage mandate under the Affordable Car Act. This action has permitted employers and organizations to claim broad exemptions from nondiscrimination laws, which has increased the vulnerability of LGBTQ rights.
Following these actions, which perpetuate and tolerate discrimination and taken this nation in the wrong direction, New York is once again stepping up to ensure the rights of individuals across the state are protected.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
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