City OKs transgender rights
TROY >> While transgender individuals live with a variety of hardships, legal discrimination in the City of Troy will no longer be one of them.
“There’s a lot of issues, but you have to start somewhere,” said Kate Terrell, a transgender woman from Schenectady work- ing with local advocacy group Affirming Transgender Rights.
The City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve several pieces of legislation creating legal protections against discrimination for transgender people, including in employment, housing and other aspects of life.
These protections do not exist at the state level. For eight years, the Gender Expression Non-Dis- crimination Act has been approved by the State Assembly but not the State Senate.
Troy is the thirteenth New York State municipality to pass such legislation.
Byrgen Finkleman, from the local advocacy group Affirming Transgender Rights, said the most pervasive problem facing transgender individuals is legal discrimination in housing,
employment, public accommodations and other aspects of every day life.
“This means a transgender person can be fired, kicked out of an apartment, denied a loan — simply for being transgender. Legal discrimination ruins lives,” said Finkleman.
While legislation concerning transgender rights have sometimes been dubbed “bathroom bills,” local advocates say the range of problems faced by transgender individuals stretch far beyond restrooms.
They also face problems in health care, discrimination in business, housing, in the criminal justice and prison systems, among others. Local advocates say transgender veterans have issues getting services at the Veterans Association — although they say that’s improving. Some fear a new landlord taking ownership of their apartment — because they could be evicted for being transgender.
Terrell’s had multiple experiences of being unable to receive health care for issues not related to her gender — a suspected heart attack, or a problem with her arm, for example. She said health centers have assigned her to rooms for men— which can be a dangerous place for a transgender woman.
While this legislation seems somewhat routine — adding a few words to existing city code — advocates say transgender people are aware of which places have
“Troy is better than to be divided among those who can be protected and those who can’t.” — City Council President Rodney Wiltshire
protections like these.
City Council President Rodney Wiltshire, a Democrat who is running for mayor, worked with Affirming Transgender Rights on the legislation, which was co-sponsored by Council members Lynn Kopka (D-At Large), Bob Doherty (D-District 4) and Anastasia Robertson (D-District 2).
Wiltshire, endorsed by the Working Families Party, held a press conference Thursday before the vote, along with other candidates on the WFP slate, dubbed “Team Troy,” including Doherty, Distirct 5 candidate David Bissember, District 6 candidate Corey Jenkins and At-Large candidate Anasha Cummings.
Wiltshire said the legislation was the first step to a long-term goal of making Troy a more inclusive city.
“Troy is better than to be divided among those who can be protected and those who can’t,” said Wiltshire, who also called for the reactivation of the city’s dormant Human Rights Commission, “so people have a place to go if they are discriminated against, and as a starting point to fight for more inclusion. Because Troy has been too exclusive, too much about just a few people in power, and it’s holding us back.”