Letter to the editor: Vote ‘yes’ on Prop #1

On Election Day, November 5^th, we will have the opportunity to not only cast our votes for our president, vice president and state and federal representatives but also to vote on greater security for our human rights, civil rights, and healthcare rights across New York State.

This opportunity is called the New York Equal Rights Amendment, popularly known as Proposal #1 or Prop #1.

Prop #1 expands our state’s constitutional protections against discrimination based on race, color, creed and religion to include “ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation [LGBTQIA], gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes [Including abortion], as well as reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”

Why do we even need this amendment?  After all, New York State has robust laws that already protect us in each of these categories. But, if we’ve witnessed anything in our lifetimes, it is how rights we’ve relied on, both relatively new and longstanding, can be changed with the stroke of a governor’s pen, a change in legislatures, or a judge’s predilection.

By codifying these rights in our state constitution, we are adding an additional layer of protection in the event of political upheaval and creating stronger precedent for contesting unfair treatment in the future.

If you see the wisdom in this, turn your ballot over, and vote “yes!” on Prop #1.

Joan Adler, Town of Enfield