Subj: Ithaca adopts 1st law to include protection for transgender persons


Date: 6/8/00 6:24:57 PM Eastern Daylight Time From: qnews@channelq.com (Channel Q)




Empire State Pride Agenda Press Release June 8, 2000



ITHACA ADOPTS STATE'S FIRST LAW TO INCLUDE PROTECTIONS FOR TRANSGENDER PERSONS

-Local Hate Crimes Ordinance Increases Penalties for Hate-Based Misdemeanors-



Ithaca, New York, June 8. The Ithaca Common Council unanimously adopted last night a city ordinance to increase penalties for municipal offenses motivated by hatred, including acts based on an individual's "gender identity and presentation."* Mayor Alan Cohen said he would sign the law, making Ithaca the first municipality in New York to adopt legislation that specifically includes protections for transgendered persons.

"We're proud that Ithaca is again on the forefront of civil rights in New York. This real victory paves the way to covering transgender persons under our local non-discrimination law," said Roey Thorpe, the Ithaca Field Organizer for the Empire State Pride Agenda. Ms. Thorpe and other members of the Pride Agenda staff were instrumental in drafting key parts of the law and lobbying for its passage.

"This is a historic moment not only for Ithaca but for the transgender community in this state," said Pauline Park of the New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy (NYAGRA), the first statewide transgender political organization in New York. "This is the first transgender-inclusive legislation adopted by any jurisdiction in the state of New York, and it bodes well for the passage of fully transgender-inclusive hate crimes laws and anti-discrimination laws elsewhere in the state," said Park. NYAGRA is working in partnership with the Pride Agenda and a broad coalition of organizations on a bill to amend New York City's human rights law to include transgender protections. That measure, the first attempt to extend anti-discrimination protections since sexual orientation was added in 1987, was introduced on June 5 and has already garnered the support of twenty-two of the City Council's 51 members.

Ithaca's city prosecutor, Margaret McCarthy, an open lesbian, oversaw the committee that drafted the law. The committee included Ithaca's openly lesbian councilperson Pat Pryor. The vote was cheered by the 50 supporters present for the vote.

The new law creates four new misdemeanors, each punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to a year's jail time: Bias-Motivated Harassment; Bias-Motivated Intentional Criminal Mischief; Bias-Motivated Reckless Criminal Mischief; and Bias-Related Graffiti Making.

"Not only will this law give our prosecutor the clear authority to prosecute a hate-motivated offense for what it is, the offender will carry the conviction on his or her criminal record," Thorpe said. Under New York law, the prior conviction may be admitted as evidence in a subsequent offense to establish bias intent, provided the crimes are similar in nature.

"This law will also be an added impetus for police training on identifying hate crimes, and for including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in that training," said Ms. Thorpe.

*Gender identity or presentation is defined in the law to "include a person's gender identity, self image, appearance, expression, or behavior, whether or not that gender identity, self image, appearance, expression, or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person's sex at birth."



Founded in 1990, the Empire State Pride Agenda is New York's statewide, non-partisan lesbian and gay political advocacy organization. With offices in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and New York City, the Pride Agenda fights for equal rights for lesbian and gay New Yorkers by lobbying the state legislature and the Governor, electing supportive candidates, organizing the community and educating the public. The organization has 13 full-time employees, 8 part-time employees, and a $2.2 million budget.
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