Saturday, June 25, 2011

GENDA Dies For Fourth Time In NY Senate

Lost in all of the hoopla over the New York Senate finally passing on a 33-29 vote gay marriage and the bill being signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) was the fact that GENDA, a trans civil rights bill which has advanced by lopsided margins in now four  consecutive sessions only to die in the New York Senate did so once again.

While I'm happy for my gay brothers and sisters and you transpeople who also happen to be gay and lesbian as well that you will be able to get married starting in July, I still have mixed emotions about it when I consider that those same gay peeps who were celebrating in front of the Stonewall Inn have had civil rights coverage in New York State courtesy of SONDA since 2002.

A SONDA bill that transpeople were cut out of 

I'm also thinking about the irony as I see the pics and videos of the celebrations in the wake of this happening is that it is occurring on the eve of the celebrations of an event that POC transpeople helped kick off, the Stonewall Riots

Hey, happy for you GL peeps.  But I will say it once again, your ability to get married doesn't do jack for the fact that transpeople in New York state can still be legally discriminated against unless they live in certain urban areas.  GENDA was supposed to remedy that, but once again it died in the NY Senate.without getting to the floor for a vote.

I'll be interested in seeing if during the 2012 NY legislative session GENDA is pushed for passage as hard as gay marriage was in this one by ESPA, Gov. Cuomo, Mayor Bloomberg, and former President Bill Clinton

But I'm not holding my breath on that, especially since 2012 is an election year..  



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