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..  

What About GENDA?

For the last three years in the New York state legislature GENDA, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act. has been stuck in an infuriating pattern for trans New Yorkers. 

It passes by overwhelming margins in the New York Assembly, but dies in the New York Senate.

GENDA if passed would amend the state non-discrimination laws to add gender identity and expression to the list of characteristics protected from discrimination in employment, education, public accommodations, housing and credit. It would also add gender identity and expression to the state hate crimes law.


Last year it died in committee by one vote with 11 Republicans and TBLG hater Sen Ruben Diaz, Sr crossing party lines to vote with the GOP to kill it..

But like Charlie Brown, the New York trans community as they have since 2003, keeps getting up and trying to successfully kick that civil rights football through the goalposts while hoping Lucy doesn't yank the football away once again.

For the fourth straight year GENDA (AB 5039/S 2873) passed the NY Assembly on a lopsided 78-53 vote.  However the obstacles to finally getting this bill passed and on Governor Andrew Cuomo's desk is the NY Senate and clock ticking on the 2011 session which ends later today at midnight.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has said he would sign the legislation if it passes..

Once again the 'all marriage all the time' GL movement has the noise machine cranked up for same sex marriage passage, but not a amplified peep out of the noise machine for GENDA, which will benefit far more people than the ability for a few to get married.

As I've said repeatedly, it does you no good to be able to marry someone if you can't hold a job to pay for the wedding ring, the wedding and the wedding reception and the haters can keep you from renting the reception hall.

The clock is ticking on GENDA for this legislative session  and it's looking like once again, the NY senate Lucy will succeed in taking away the civil rights football just as we're about to kick it.

But we have until midnight to see if that happens..

GENDA Dies Again In NY Senate

"AN ACT to amend the executive law, the civil rights law and the education law, in relation to prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or expression; and to amend the penal law and the criminal procedure law, in relation to including offenses regarding gender identity or expression within the list of offenses subject to treatment as hate crimes."

The bill has passed the Assembly three times, would add “gender identity and expression” to those protected against employment, housing, education and credit discrimination.

GENDA has been stuck in an infuriating pattern in the NY Legislature the last few years. It passes the NY Assembly by overwhelming margins only to get killed when it gets to the NY Senate.

For the third straight year, the NY Senate has trampled the hopes of the trans citizens of the state by killing GENDA in committee.

The bill died in the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning to the chagrin of openly gay state Sen. Tom Duane (D-Manhattan), who sponsoring the legislation in conjunction with Assemblyman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan).

All 11 Republicans on the Judiciary Committee voted down the bill, plus Democratic state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr (D-Bronx)

Sen. Duane attributed the defeat partly to a difference of opinions on legislative strategy.

"it is now yet again confirmed that the Senate is a cesspool of homophobia and transphobia," said Duane. "The advocates wanted to go through a committee... I believe that we should have brought GENDA through Rules and brought it right to the floor so as to deny the right-wing fringe the ability to organize against GENDA with their lies and distortions."

According to NY Daily News State Capitol Bureau Chief Ken Lovett, Senate Democrats are "livid" over the bill's demise:

"Senate Dems say two Republicans on the committee, Sens. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) and George Maziarz (R-Niagara) had previously committed to supporting the measure, only to vote against it in committee.

"Whether it’s ethics reform or upholding basic human rights for all New Yorkers, Senate Republicans proved once again they lack the backbone to stand up for what they claim to believe in," said Senate Democratic spokesman Austin Shafran.

Shafran clarified his statement to say that Sens. Lanza and Maziarz had agreed only to move the bill out of committee without recommendation.

What is so onerous about GENDA that the Forces of Intolerance in the New York State Senate find objectionable?

Oops, silly me. Guess they want to keep their ability to oppress someone alive.

Once again, the NY State Senate has sent a bitter message to trans New Yorkers. They don't mind sticking their hands in the wallets and purses of trans New Yorkers to grab state tax money from them when they can find work.

But they can't, won't and refuse to exert themselves with passing critical legislation recognizing trans New Yorkers fundamental human rights.