May 24, 2005

NYStateWatch: GENDA HEARINGS POSTPONED

Last week, we reported that state senator Tom Duane (D-Manhattan) would be holding public hearings this Wednesday in Albany on the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), which would add the category of gender identity and expression to the already existing New York State human-rights laws. (The current law makes it illegal in New York State to discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, marital status and other categories in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, education and credit.)

The hearing has been postponed until June 15 (10am-1pm in Hearing Room A of the Legislative Office Building). If you or your group would like to testify at the hearing, download the reply form here and follow the included instructions. Housing Works is already running radio ads in Albany to set the stage for the hearings later this month; if you'd like to get involved in GENDA advocacy, contact Mark Hayes at hayes@housingworks.org.

Consider being part of this hearing, which Duane staffer Mark Furnish says will be "the first open discussion on gender rights in the state legislature. Something like this has never been done before."

The Housing Works AIDS Issues Update is reported, written and edited by Diana Scholl, David Thorpe, Christine Campbell, terri smith-caronia and Housing Works staff. Send your feedback, leads and story ideas to d.scholl@housingworks.org.

You can reach us by phone at 212-967-1500 x168, by fax at 212-868-4222, and by email at d.scholl@housingworks.org. Housing Works provides housing, advocacy and services to homeless people living with AIDS and HIV. Housing Works is the nation's largest community-based AIDS organization and the nation's largest minority-controlled AIDS organization.

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