“It is wonderful the U.S. Senate has passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would protect Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender individuals from discrimination on the job. Of course it will not be the law of the land until it is passed by the House of Representatives and signed by President Obama, and even then its protections are limited to the workplace.

“There is still a pressing need for the New York State Senate to pass GENDA, which covers discrimination not only in the workplace but also in areas including housing, public accommodations, education and hate crimes. There are nearly 24,000 transgender New Yorkers who can be fired from their jobs or be evicted from their homes because their gender identity or expression is not covered by state or local anti-discrimination statutes.”