Empire State 'GENDA CALL IN DAY' Pride Agenda

Wednesday May 20 is the Statewide GENDA Call-In Day - It’s Time to Act!
You are receiving this e-mail because the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) has been passed by the Assembly and has enough support to be passed by the Senate. The time is NOW to take action and make our final push to get the Senate to vote to end discrimination against transgender New Yorkers.
We need you to get on the phone and call the lead Senate sponsor Tom Duane and your Senator to tell them that you want them to bring GENDA to the Senate floor and pass it. We’re in the final stretch and it is vital that they hear from you.

You can reach Senator Tom Duane at (518) 455-2451 and you can find your State Senator’s Albany phone number here.

GENDA would amend the state's human rights law to include anti-discrimination protections based upon gender identity and expression, providing crucial civil rights protections for transgender New Yorkers by banning discrimination in housing, employment, credit, public accommodations, and other areas of everyday life.

With more than half of the Senators indicating their support for GENDA, we know that we have enough votes to get it passed in the Senate if it comes to the floor for a vote. So now is the time to call Senator Duane and your State Senator!

Talking Points:

Reach Tom Duane at (518) 455-2451 and find your Senator’s Albany phone number here. Call their offices on Wednesday to tell them that the time is now to end discrimination against transgender New Yorkers.

Remember to give them the number of the GENDA bill (S.2406).

Ask your Senator to vote for GENDA, and ask lead Senate Sponsor Tom Duane to bring the bill to the floor for a vote now.

Tell them about the broad support for GENDA statewide, including:
78% of New York voters
Unions representing 2.1 million working New Yorkers
27 Fortune 500 companies based in cities like Rochester , Corning , New York City and White Plains .
344 clergy and lay leaders, representing over 20 different denominations
Working together, we can make this happen! Start making those phone calls now!

New York Assembly Passes Genda : Now onto a Democratic Senate

By Kelli Busey April 22, 2009 planetransgender

One year ago Genda, a bill that would have afforded transgender New Yorkers protection against discrimination in housing, the workplace and would have amended the law to include transgender people as a protected class, passed the NY Assembly only to die in the the previously republican controlled Senate.

Genda has once again passed the lower legislative house and now moves forward to a vote in the Senate where a slim majority of law makers indicated approval offering it a better chance than last year.

According to civil rights leaders in New York, the marriage equality bill which was recently publicly endorsed by Governor David Paterson, will have a better chance of passing if the less controversial Genda Bill becomes law.

Found on the Web

Gay City News Assembly Again Approves Gender Rights Measure

"GENDA would bar bias based on gender identity and expression in employment, housing, public accommodations, and access to credit. It would also amend the 2000 hate crimes statute to include gender identity and expression as protected categories."