The New York State Senate yesterday passed a bill prohibiting mental health professionals from engaging in sexual orientation change efforts with patients under eighteen years old. The Senate yesterday also passed the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, also known as GENDA. Rockland State Senator David Carlucci says the bill would prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and adds transgender New Yorkers to those protected by the state’s Hate Crimes law.
A 2016 National Transgender Discrimination Survey showed that 26% of transgender individuals lost a job due to bias, 50% were harassed on the job, 20% were evicted or denied housing, and 78% of transgender students were harassed or assaulted.