By Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick
Cover credit – Matt Meduri
In a few short weeks, New Yorkers will head to the polls, and they will have more to consider than the list of candidates seeking public office. Also appearing on the ballot this year is “Proposal 1,” a measure that purports to protect individuals from discrimination, when, in reality, it forces our most cherished institutions to accept controversial views on subjects like gender ideology and gender identity.
I have deep concerns regarding Proposal 1. The proposal, which would amend the New York State Constitution, inserts new language presented in vague and unclear terms, leaving the text open to an overly broad interpretation. Its liberal supporters have framed Proposal 1 as an “equal rights amendment.” It’s more accurate to describe the measure as “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
For generations, New York’s Constitution has prevented discrimination based on “race, creed, color or religion.” But the new proposal inexplicably adds “ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”
If passed, Prop 1 would create fundamental issues related to parental rights and gender identity, and it would potentially threaten the security and fairness of our state’s electoral process. The state constitution already provides substantial and clear protections for the rights of all New Yorkers, but if passed, this proposal could threaten those very protections.
The proposal is intentionally misleading. It was initially painted as a way to “protect” abortion; however, the word “abortion” does not even appear in the text, and the prop covers myriad issues unrelated to reproductive health. Further, New York already has some of the nation’s most liberal abortion protections. Since 1970, New Yorkers have had access to legal abortion, and that access is not under any threat. In fact, just short of California, New York has the second-highest rate of abortion in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Additionally, the proposal also threatens parental rights by allowing minors to make critical health decisions without their parent’s knowledge. For example, Prop 1 would create new constitutional “rights” and grant minors the right to transgender and other types of medical interventions—all without parental notification/consent. Children should not be making such life-altering decisions, especially without their parents. I’m disheartened to know New York has become a state that would even think to allow parents to be removed from such critical decisions.
And when it comes to school sports, the proposal would put our students’ safety and well-being in jeopardy as well. The proposal’s inclusion of inordinate protections for “gender identity” and “gender expression” would result in biological males competing in female sports. This would unfairly and unjustly put female athletes in the position of competing against biological men who have a physical advantage over them.
Alarmingly, the proposition would also allow for biological men and women to have shared locker rooms and bathrooms, completely disregarding the safety and comfort of other students. This would be a massive step backward from the hard-fought protections given by Title IX to girls in academics and athletics.
Lastly, this specific ballot proposition is troubling because its vague language could allow illegal migrants the right to vote, which raises questions about the security and fairness of the electoral process. This protection undermines the rights of American citizens and dilutes our voice in determining our own government. Democracy is the foundation of our country, one of the characteristics that sets our country apart from the rest of the world. It should be protected, upheld and free from foreign influence.
Ballot Proposal 1 is designed to appear helpful but ultimately is dangerous to our citizens and our state. If passed, it could alter the future of New York forever, and I urge everyone to vote no. Changes to our state’s constitution should not be taken lightly, nor should they be made to advance a misguided, liberal agenda.
Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (R-St. James) has represented the Eighth District in the New York State Assembly 2013, redrawn from the Seventh District, which he had represented since 2003. The Eighth District includes the entire Town of Smithtown, the Village of Islandia, and the Islip portion of Hauppauge.
The Eighth District office is located at 285 Middle Country Road, Suite 202, in Smithtown, and can be reached at 631-724-2929.
