Dignity emerged as a decisive theme of the NYCLU’s work in 2015. We fought to protect and elevate the value of all New Yorkers’ rights to bodily integrity and self-determination. We helped to defend dignity this year with long-awaited victories in reform of solitary confinement, police surveillance and school discipline, as well as achievements for women’s equality and transgender rights. Thanks to the NYCLU’s litigation and advocacy, fewer people will be subjected to the torture of being locked alone in cage-like conditions. American Muslims will be safer from unlawful, covert surveillance. Unprecedented new laws will ensure women receive reasonable accommodations at work when they are pregnant, protection from discrimination and equal pay. Transgender students can access the school bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity, and groundbreaking school discipline reforms will keep more students in school and out of the criminal justice system.

These are just a few of the many triumphs we earned together with our partners and thanks to the generosity of our members and supporters. The NYCLU has worked tirelessly to improve the well-being and quality of life for thousands of New Yorkers. This year’s annual report highlights their stories, their struggles and what these reforms will mean to them.