Our Priorities
We don’t see single causes; we see connected movements. The fight for digital privacy is key to protecting abortion access, just as reining in over-policing helps dismantle systemic racism in schools. Yet our work can be understood through four main themes:
Priority:
Strengthening Democracy
Participation drives our democracy. We’re fighting to ensure New Yorkers can make their voices heard in the streets and counted at the ballot box, and that we have a public education system that protects and empowers students to get involved.
Priority:
Promoting Equality
We should all be free to live openly as ourselves. The NYCLU challenges systemic racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and bias in state and local laws, policies, and practices, and we advance protections for communities being targeted. Issue areas include:
Priority:
Pursuing Justice
Our so-called justice system is anything but. We work to reimagine community safety, hold police accountable, ensure a fair day in court, and protect jailed New Yorkers. We’re also fighting systemic inequities in order to protect New Yorkers’ health, economic security, and well-being.
Priority:
Protecting Privacy & Autonomy
Every New Yorker should be able control their body and conduct their personal lives without coercion, interference, or surveillance. We’re combatting law enforcement, government, and private sector overreach into our personal lives — from dictating our health care decisions like abortion, to police spying on our activities, to secret collection of our personal data online.
