ALBANY, N.Y. Jan. 15, 2019 — New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta today released a statement following the Senate and Assembly’s passage of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) and the anti-conversion therapy bill, both of which NYSUT has long advocated for.
The GENDA bill would prohibit discrimination against individuals or groups on the basis of their perceived gender identity or expression, including the transgender population. The anti-conversion therapy bill would prohibit mental health professionals from engaging in sexual-orientation change efforts or “conversion therapy” for patients younger than 18.
Pallotta said, “Passage of these two bills is great news — a big step forward for our state, especially members of the LGBTQ community and their families. Ensuring the physical and psychological well-being of all individuals — no matter who they are — must be a priority. Unions through collective bargaining have traditionally offered the best protection for LGBTQ individuals in the workplace; we’re happy to see New York State taking steps toward extending those protections to all.”
New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.
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