Governor Cuomo and Andy Cohen Rally to Legalize Gestational Surrogacy & Ban Panic Defense

Governor Andrew Cuomo, along with Bravo TV producer and host Andy Cohen, today rallied to legalize gestational surrogacy and ban the gay and trans panic defense before the end of the legislative session on June 19. Both bills were proposed in the Governor's FY 2020 Executive Budget but were not adopted by the legislature, leaving them to be considered outside of the budget during the remainder of the legislative session. On May 30, the Governor launched a campaign and website dedicated to passing the two proposals before the end of session, and LGBTQ advocacy groups are joining the Governor's growing coalition.

"We are the nation's leader, if not the international leader, when it comes to LGBTQ equality - but we still have more to do," Governor Cuomo said. "With only seven days remaining in the legislative session, there are still two very important issues we need to pass - legalizing surrogacy and banning the gay and trans panic defense. And we need to get these done now because New York is the diversity capital of the nation and we believe that diversity is our greatest strength. We celebrate it, we don't fear it. We believe the strongest four letter word is love, and we are going to stand up in the name of love, community, acceptance, tolerance, and we are going to show this nation the way forward. That is the best way to start World Pride, with getting these proposals passed and New York once again leading the way."

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo