Lambda Legal Applauds Governor Paterson's Executive Order Protecting New York Transgender Public Employees

(New York, December 16, 2009) - Today, Governor Paterson signed an executive order that would include transgender people in antidiscrimination policies that govern state agencies.

Statement from Dru Levasseur, Transgender Rights Staff Attorney at Lambda Legal:

"Governor Paterson's Executive Order is a great first step towards protecting transgender and gender non-conforming state employees. But the New York legislature must now pass the Gender Expression Nondiscrimination Act (GENDA) so all New Yorkers are included in this important protection.

"Americans overwhelmingly support job protections for transgender, lesbian, gay and bisexual people. There are 13 other jurisdictions that have gender identity and expression employment nondiscrimination laws and Congress is working on the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) which would provide workplace protection for all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people across the country.

Lambda Legal is currently representing Vandy Beth Glenn, a transgender woman who was fired from her job as Legislative Editor for the Georgia General Assembly after she told her employer that she planned to transition from male to female. In that case, a United States District Judge wrote that "...anticipated reactions of others are not a sufficient basis for discrimination."

"We are grateful to Vandy Beth Glenn and others who speak out against discrimination and we thank Governor Paterson for his leadership. We urge the New York legislature to follow his example and pass GENDA for all New Yorkers."

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