State Landmarks to Be Lit in Honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20
Public Service Announcement Highlighting Rights of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming New Yorkers in the Workplace to Protect Against Discrimination Available Here
Read Proclamation Here
Governor Kathy Hochul issued a proclamation declaring November Transgender Awareness Month to celebrate the trans community in New York State and across the country. The Governor also announced that New York State landmarks will be lit pink, white and light blue on Sunday, November 20 in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance.
"This November, I'm proud to celebrate Transgender Awareness Month to highlight the countless contributions that members of the transgender community have made to our state," Governor Hochul said. "Along with Transgender Day of Remembrance, this is also an opportunity to raise awareness about the discrimination and attacks transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary people face across the world. My administration will continue to stand with the transgender community as we fight to ensure all New Yorkers can live with the dignity and equality they deserve."
Governor Hochul has been a steadfast advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. In her first budget, Governor Hochul worked with the legislature to include a historic $13.5 million investment in LGBTQ+ health and human services funding and also required state agencies to make an "X" gender designation available to the public on state forms that collect such information. Governor Hochul has also signed major legislation to support LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, including creating the Lorena Borjas Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund and the Gender Inclusive Ballot Act.
Governor Hochul also announced today that the New York State Division of Human Rights has produced a public service announcement in collaboration with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner and the New Pride Agenda on the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming people in the workplace to protect against discrimination. The PSA will run on social media platforms in honor of Transgender Awareness Month and Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Additionally, in consultation with the Executive Chamber, the Office of Employee Relations has developed a new training video that examines issues faced in the workplace by transgender and gender nonconforming employees. This video will be used to educate and increase cultural competency regarding the trans community for the entire state workforce, which reaches people from Buffalo to Albany, North Country to New York City, and Long Island.
Building on the information already available in the Office of Employee Relations' Gender Identity Toolkit on the Statewide Learning Management System, the new Gender ID in the Workplace video provides a more detailed look at issues such as pronoun usage, gender-neutral language, workplace confidentiality and exposure, and gender-based microaggressions in the workplace. The video is in its final production and the Office of Employee Relations looks forward to launching the new training as part of its mandatory training program for executive branch employees in calendar year 2023.
In January, the state Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence will release applications for the LGBTQ+ Endorsement Program for Domestic Violence Providers. Announced by Governor Hochul in June, this year-long pilot program will help to address the unique struggles faced by the transgender community when there are instances of domestic violence.
The program is dedicated to reducing the barriers that LGBTQ+ survivors of gender-based violence face when seeking safety and will give participants the opportunity to be in the first cohort of endorsed programs, receive specialized training and technical assistance, and provide input on its development. To develop the program, the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence partnered with the New York City Anti-Violence Project and sought feedback from the LGBTQ+ and domestic violence provider community via a series of stakeholder listening sessions in this fall.
The voluntary initiative will give domestic violence programs the opportunity to be certified as LGBTQ+ affirming and inclusive in their services, policies and practices, and will establish a new commitment to the LGBTQ+ community statewide. To receive an endorsement, programs will need to show they meet a set of program standards including standards on serving trans- and gender-nonconforming survivors.
On November 20, in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, the landmarks to be lit include:
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