The New York State Assembly passed a bill on Tuesday which, if successful in the Senate, would prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression in employment, housing, public accommodations, and other areas.The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (or GENDA) passed the Democratic-controlled assembly by a wide margin after only a 15-minute debate, according to Gay City News. The measure must still pass through the Senate, which has only a small Democratic majority (32-30).
This isn't GENDA's first run in the legislature, however. Last year, the Republican-controlled Senate squashed the same transgender rights bill after it passed the assembly as well.
The Transgender Law and Policy Institute, a policy and advocacy organization for transgender people, states that if the bill were to pass, New York would join three other states—Minnesota, New Mexico, and Rhode Island—with laws in place banning bias against transgender residents and workers. Last year, New York State’s non-discrimination law was amended to include sexual orientation.
Gay advocacy site AKAWilliam speculates that passage of GENDA in the assembly and "its coming path through the Senate could be used to take the legislative temperature of the gay marriage bill."
Last week, New York Gov. David Paterson introduced legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in the state.
Related: Image © Medioimages/Photodisc.
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