Rochester and state officials gathered at City Hall Monday morning to urge the New York State Senate and assembly to pass GENDA - the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act.
GENDA is a proposed state law that would add gender identity and expression as a protected class in the state's human rights and hate crimes laws, prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and other areas.
Assembly member Harry Bronson says a number of cities and municipalities have local discrimination laws, but it’s not statewide.
"Civil rights and anti-discrimination laws should not be based on what zip code you live in. It should not be based on whether you live in the city of Rochester, the city of Albany or New York City, or Ithaca. You shouldn’t be a transgender individual and have to fear for your safety and your civil rights as you’re traveling across this great state."
Communications Manager for the Out Alliance, Rowan Collins says he’s been fighting for over a decade to get the bill passed. The Assembly has passed eight times and senate has stalled since 2003
"It is time for it to see the senate floor, it has never made it to the floor it dies in committee every single year, This is the year.”
Collins says after this weekend’s announcement that the Trump administration wants to define gender strictly as the one you were born with, he woke up to a phone full of worried messages.
"To any transgender person struggling today, or the next day, or any day following today. I see you, I love you, I will not stop fighting for you."
There is also a petition you can sign in support of the bill.
