transgender protections
How David Paterson Is Getting Back on New York’s Anti-Gay Senators
Today will be the day Gov. David Paterson signs an executive order making it illegal for any state agency to discriminate against employees based on their transgender status. We thinks it’s David’s little way of saying F-U to the the state senators who voted down gay marriage, no? Maybe tomorrow he can sign an executive order banning divorce.
First, getting back “on”? Paterson was at some point, what, getting piggyback rides from these people and fell off? I think you mean getting back “at”.
Second, how is this related to the failure of the marriage bill? Paterson sat down and said “I’ll extend protections to a class of people who have historically been left out of civil rights bills in this state and this country, that’ll teach those guys a lesson!” Or is it more likely that this governor, who has been very vocal in support of queer issues, realized that this gap in the law needed to be closed? I prefer the latter in hopes that there are at least a few politicians for whom our rights and our lives are not bargaining chips.
They are NOT protections. They are punishments for bad behavior. Until “laws” come with security guards 24/7, they are not protections. Someone wishing to “discriminate,” now must not use “transgender” as the reason. They’ll use something legal – like “incompetent.”
The only behavior laws change are which words people use. In 1964 people stop using the “n” word when firing someone. Now, in New York, they’ll make sure not to use the “T” word when firing someone.
I’d like to see him stay Governor, and moves like this will satisfy the democratic prime time news watchers, but it still is a calculation based on voter support. He’s going to pull it out of the bag this year.