Letter to Gov. Hochul opposing Part B of the Public Protection Article VII Legislation on “Gender-Affirming Treatment of Incarcerated Individuals”

The NYCLU, numerous LGBTQ+ groups, and allied organizations in New York State write to express our opposition to Part B of the Governor’s FY2023 Public Protection General Governments (PPGG) Article VII legislation that purports to protect transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary, and intersex (TGNCNBI) people in New York prisons and local jails. While we appreciate the Governor’s recognition that this is a serious issue that must be addressed, the language as written does not advance the goal of protecting TGNCNBI people from discrimination, violence, and abuse in prisons and jails. It will instead perpetuate the dire situation they currently face. We strongly urge you to oppose the Governor’s inadequate and harmful proposal and instead support the Gender Identity Respect, Dignity, and Safety Act (GIRDS) (A.7001-Page 2 B/S.6677) in its entirety. Unlike Part B of PPGG, GIRDS is informed by impacted community members, is designed to enact meaningful change for incarcerated TGNCNBI people, and is consistent with the values of New York State.