I'm forwarding a message
about the first public hearing on Int. No. 512, which will take
place tomorrow (Friday, 4.8.05) morning at City Hall in Manhattan. While there
is nothing
transgender-specific in the text of the bill, the New York City Human Rights
Initiative
would enhance the ability of City agencies to address discrimination, especially
discrimination based on gender or race.
The lead sponsor of the bill, Council Member Bill Perkins, was also the lead
sponsor of Int.
No. 24, the transgender rights bill passed by the Council in April 2002, and
Int. No. 512
has attracted support from a large number of Council members, including most of
the
Black, Latino & Asian Caucus.
NYAGRA has endorsed this legislation & is a founding member of the coalition
supporting
it because we believe that it is important for the City of New York to take an
active role in
addressing discrimination across the board, and Int. No. 512 would create a
structure for
preventive action by city agencies as well as for enhancing participation in the
process by
affected communities. As an organization whose board is half people of color,
we also
believe that it is important to address multiple oppressions & to work in
broad-based
coalitions such as the one that has formed to advance this legislation.
I will be testifying on behalf of NYAGRA at the hearing, and I would encourage
anyone who
is able to join me to attend the hearing & the press conference at City Hall
tomorrow.
Pauline Park
Co-Chair
New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy (NYAGRA)
24 W. 25th St., 9th floor
New York, NY 10010
(212) 675-3288, ext. 338
http://www.nyagra.tripod.com/
_____________________
COME SHOW YOUR SUPPORT TOMORROW |
The first hearing for ground-breaking local human rights
legislation developed by the NYC
HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE will be held on Friday April 8 at 10am, in the main
Council
Chambers at New York City Hall.
Introduced by Councilmember Bill Perkins, INTRO 512 -- the Human Rights in
Government
Operations Audit Law (HUMAN RIGHTS GOAL) takes a unique preventive and
participatory
approach to identifying and eliminating discriminatory policies before they
result in
harmful outcomes. Too many individuals and groups in New York City have had to
resort
to costly and time-consuming litigation to get their grievances addressed--and
even if
they are successful, the solutions are often limited in scope. Human Rights GOAL
tackles
problems collaboratively and head-on, resulting in greater efficiency, more
comprehensive
solutions, better services for everyone, and increased savings over time.
The hearing will provide an exciting opportunity to witness democracy in action,
learn why
good governance is contingent upon core human rights and anti-discrimination
principles,
and hear some of our city's most eloquent scholars, politicians and social
justice advocates
make the case for why human rights are as important, relevant and necessary in
New York
City as they are in Baghdad, Kabul and Beijing.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
* JOIN US AT THE HEARING, and bring along colleagues, co-workers, students,
family and
friends. WE REALLY NEED TO FILL COUNCIL CHAMBERS WITH OUR SUPPORTERS!
* POST THIS MESSAGE to your listservs (apologies in advance for cross-postings)
* PRINT AND DISTRIBUTE ATTACHED FLYER
* GO TO our brand new website at WWW.NYCHRI.ORG and SEND AN E-CARD OR LETTER TO
YOUR CITY COUNCILMEMBER, or sign your organization up as an endorser
Thanks in advance for helping us show our local elected officials that New
Yorkers care
about their human rights and those of their neighbors!
*************************
MORE ABOUT INTRO 512 -- HUMAN RIGHTS GOAL
-WHY?
It seems like every day brings another terrible story -- and another lawsuit
against the
City:
- Homeless families forced to live in squalid apartments whose negligent owners
are paid
above-market rates with city dollars
- Children removed from their homes and placed in foster care because their
mothers
have been abused by a partner or spouse
- Men of color and women of every race struggling to join a firefighting force
that is 97%
white and more than 99% male
- Women sexually harassed at municipal jobs they are required to perform in
exchange for
public benefits, but unprotected by existing labor laws because the City refuses
to call
them "workers"
HUMAN RIGHTS GOAL: Solutions not lawsuits!
-WHAT?
HUMAN RIGHTS GOAL uses pro-active measures to eliminate discrimination in city
employment, service delivery and budget allocations by incorporating standards
and tools
from the universal human rights system into day-to-day city operations. Drawing
from
broad human rights principles, as well as from the two key international human
rights
treaties that address gender and race discrimination, CEDAW and CERD
respectively, the
legislation enables the city to tackle harmful policies head-on by requiring
city agencies to
conduct audits to identify -- and then develop and implement action plans to
eliminate --
gender, race and other forms of discrimination. The entire process is monitored
by a task
force that is created by the legislation. Both the task force, and an advisory
committee that
helps the agencies fulfill their requirements, are comprised of city personnel,
advocates,
community members and other stakeholders. A similar and successful law was
adopted in
San Francisco in April of 1998, and other cities are following suit.
NYC GOAL: Human rights preventing wrongs!
-WHO?
The New York City Human Rights Initiative is a broad coalition of local,
national, and
international groups based in New York City and coordinated by the Women of
Color Policy
Network, New York Civil Liberties Union, Legal Momentum, Human Rights Project of
the
Urban Justice Center, Amnesty International USA, and the American Civil
Liberties Union.
TIRED OF BUSINESS AS USUAL IN NEW YORK CITY?
Support Intro 512 -- HUMAN RIGHTS GOAL: Accountability, Transparency,
Participation
Contact NYCHRI at: 646-602-5628/9 or info@nychri.org, or visit
http://www.nychri.org/