Transgender rights bill advances in NY Legislature
Posted: Sunday, February 24, 2013 12:30 am
Associated Presshttp://www.registerstar.com/news/article_d82d09e4-7e27-11e2-8a13-0019bb2963f4.htmlALBANY — Cadence Case knows all about the discrimination at jobs and in landing an apartment, the fear of bullying in the streets, the sideway glances and snickers, the wearisome daily effort of acting as expected.
Case, born a man and transitioning to become a woman, is one of the thousands of transgender individuals nationwide who hope New York will pass a measure to protect the rights of transsexuals and others with a gender identity different from the way they were born.
"It's work... It's almost always conscious, which is draining for sure. ... I can't go on much longer. It's too much. It's holding me back."
New York's bill would protect gender identity or expression from discrimination and subject violators to a potential hate crime prosecution. Gender identity would be added to law the prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, age, sexual orientation and more in areas including housing, credit and employment.
New York's measure has some powerful Democratic sponsors in Albany, which could be enough to pass the bill. Versions of it have been pushed for years by gay and transgender advocates who helped win New York's landmark law legalizing same-sex marriage in 2011. But it's not universally supported.
The measure also has the critical support of the Independent Democratic Conference, five breakaway members who share majority control of the Senate with Republicans. Republicans haven't yet discussed the measure, but aren't dismissing it in this new era in which more Democratic-leaning bills get to the Senate floor even with GOP opposition.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who pushed gay marriage into law, didn't respond to requests for comment.
Some law enforcement officers testified at recent hearings that the law would help them act more quickly on threats to head off violence.
Meanwhile, supporters like Case's father wait.
"The problem I have as a dad is, before this job, she had trouble getting work," said Rex Butt, Case's father and a professor at the City University of New York. "The trans movement is maybe 30 or 40 years behind where gay rights are right now. The conversation needs to go forward."
