I write regarding the civil rights movement, and how it continues with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning community’s road to equality. Now is an important time for civil rights, and this past year saw triumphs that furthered our community’s equality.

In the City of Buffalo, our Common Council took action to protect its citizens. It passed legislation establishing a domestic partnership registry for the city and extending partner benefits to city employees in same-gender partnerships. This is an important action, as New York State currently discriminates in more than 1,000 rights and protections that a civil marriage provides to couples and families based on gender.

Marriage equality is needed legislation and will afford families the protections of hospital visitation, health insurance and home protection. Marriage equality will provide a civil right to citizens, and infringe on no one’s right to practice or preach the teaching of any religious dogma.

Our State Legislature also passed the Dignity for All Students Act, which protects all of our children from bullying in schools. While the LGBTQ community is ever-advancing in terms of acceptance, we must never neglect the plight of countless LGBTQ children who grow up in intolerant environments. As the recent highly publicized suicides of young LGBTQ individuals tragically highlighted, there is a crucial need for children to be protected from the forces of hate.

Each one of us who believes in the cause of the civil rights movement, alongside our elected officials, must make it known publicly and in our private lives that individual identity is not something to be hated, and that even in the worst of situations, it gets better and there is a life and world out there for our children that will embrace, accept and treat them equally under the law.

Also, in Washington, Congress finally repealed the military’s policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” ensuring that no one in our military is denied the opportunity to serve our country honestly and with dignity.

However, much work remains. There are no federal protections from employment discrimination for LGBTQ Americans, and our state has yet to pass anti-discrimination legislation for individuals based on gender identity and expression. If our government is truly concerned about jobs, Congress will pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and New York will pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, to allow that no one faces unjust discrimination from employment. Equally important is the need for LGBTQ-inclusive immigration reform, as no American should ever have to choose between family and country.

I look forward to the day when Martin Luther King’s dream is fully realized, and every woman and man is treated equally in our communities and under the law. I have every faith our nation and world will rise to the task.

Bryan Ball is president of Stonewall Democrats of Western New York.


http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial-page/from-our-readers/another-voice/article317808.ece
 

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The Stonewall Democrats of Western New York are proud to announce our continued support again this year for NYS Senator Antoine Thompson in the 60th District. Since his days as a Buffalo City Councilman, Sen. Thompson has built a tremendous record of being a real and tested progressive. This road has led him to being the only Senator in all 8 counties of Western New York to vote “Yes” on Marriage Equality last year.

 Sen. Thompson was also instrumental in the Senate’s momentous passing of the “Dignity for All Students” bill earlier this summer. The Stonewall Democrats are proud to support Sen. Thompson in his reelection, when we will stand up for our truly progressive Senator.

 Volunteer opportunities are available at campaign headquarters each week day until the primary at 20 Court Street in downtown Buffalo. 

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By now you have likely heard the great news. The NYS Legislature has passed the Dignity For All Students bill. A tremendous and historic victory for our children, the bill passed by a bipartisan vote of 58-3. DASA will now go to Governor Paterson, who is expected to sign the bill into law. DASA will become law on July 1.

First introduced in 2000, DASA had repeatedly been passed by the Assembly, never making it through the Senate.  The bill will establish policies and procedures affording all students in public schools an environment free of harassment and discrimination. DASA will also establish training guidelines for teachers and administrators, create rules and preventions for discriminatory behaviors and actions and require the reporting of bias harassment incidents to the State Education Department.

The bill is the first time our Senate has voted to extend protections for transgendered people.

Stonewall Democrats of Western New York would like to commend our members who worked so hard over the last ten years to see this victory come to pass. This has happened because of you—because of every phone call and letter you wrote to our Senators, every trip you took to lobby in Albany, every story you have told and your commitment to seeing this issue through for our children.

We thank with the utmost gratitude our State legislators who have at long last passed this needed legislation. We especially thank our WNY area representatives Assemblymember Sam Hoyt and Senator Antoine Thompson, who have championed this bill and fought to see its passage through.

We thank you all.

The three Senators who voted no on DASA were Republicans George Maziarz (SD 62), Dale Volker (SD 59) and John DeFrancisco (SD 50.)                 

Call or write your Senator and Assemblymember to thank them for their vote. 
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