NY State to Vote on GENDA

Our chapter of Pride at Work has made Gender Expression Non Discimination Act (GENDA) a priority this year. It is great news to hear that the New York State Assembly and Senate may be voting on GENDA and the Conversion Therapy bills next Tuesday. January 15th.   GENDA is simply a bill that provides basic civil rights for transgender New Yorkers by adding gender identity and expression to already existing New York State Human Rights Law.  Now is a good time to contact your Senate representative & Assemblyperson and ask them to vote 'yes' on both bills. 

If you don't know, we've been trying to get GENDA passed since 2003 when Gender Identity and Expression were excluded in the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA).  This is historic and we may finally have the votes we need to pass this bill as it has NEVER come to a vote on the Senate floor.   The Assembly has passed GENDA every time it has come forward for a vote.  We have not had positive LGBTQ bills passed in New York since marriage equality in 2011. 

Please take a few minutes and contact your New York State Senator to vote 'yes'.   If you do not know who your Senator is you can find your senator at this link:  https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator  I have already contacted my Senator.  

Please let your friends and allies know about this pending vote.   We need GENDA to pass NOW! 

New beginnings

We had our elections and passed our revised by-laws.  Congratulations and a big thank you to Tom Privitere who was a founding officer and served as VP since 2008 - his commitment to equality and justice cannot be understated.  Tom will continue to be active and his guidance will always be welcomed.

President, Bess Watts

Vice President, Christopher Roesch

Secretary, Dawn Lepard

Treasurer, Kendall Bell 

Member at Large, Linda Donahue

We will be meeting quarterly with our next meeting on March 7, 2019 at the Out Alliance, 100 College Avenue, Rochester.

Chapter Elections

Chapter Elections are on November 13

Rochester nominees are:

Bess Watts, President
Christopher Roesch, Vice President
Kendall Bell, Treasurer
Dawn Lepard, Secretary

If you are interested in running for an officer position and are a member in good standing with Pride at Work email besswhat@gmail.com.

Our next meeting is on November 13 at 5:30 at the Out Alliance where we will be electing officers and voting on by-law changes.  

Unite for Justice Rally

Rochester Pride Weekend

This year's Pride Parade and Festival was the most successful ever!  Thousands of people were lined up along the parade route and over 20,000 went to the Festival afterwards.  Once again the beautiful Teamsters Local 118 Truck participated driven by Teamsters President Paul Markwitz.   A great time was had by all!

Bess Watts and Kendall Bell worked the Festival Labor table

Families Belong Together Rally in Rochester

Rochester took part in rallies across America to voice their opposition to Trump Administration's  immigration policies.  Here are a few photos from the rally in Washington Square Park.   #familiesbelongtogether 

Pride at Work Statement on Janus vs AFSCME

Pride at Work Statement on Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court Ruling

i Jun 27th w No Comments x by Aaron True

For Immediate Release

June 27, 2018

Contact: Jerame Davis – jdavis@prideatwork.org

Pride at Work Statement on Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court Ruling

Washington – Today, the Supreme Court ruled against working people in unions in Janus v. AFSCME by declaring that the fair share fees unions charge to non-members for the services provided in negotiating and servicing the collective bargaining agreement violate freedom of speech. Pride at Work Executive Director, Jerame Davis, reacted strongly:

“After spending billions of dollars to steal a Supreme Court seat, corporate CEOs and billionaires got what they paid for today. The partisan majority on this Court has decided that the corporate interests that put them have greater rights than the American people. The right to organize is a fundamental freedom that must not be abridged. This decision is a major setback for working people all across the nation, regardless of whether they are part of a union. Just as they authorized the Muslim Ban yesterday, this Supreme Court has proven that it will stop at nothing to divide and weaken us.

“Corporate CEOs and billionaires have funded this case as a means to destroy the unions that working people have built in order undermine the basic freedoms of working people. Unions are the best way to stand up to corporate greed and unrig our economy and political system. LGBTQ working people lose greatly in this decision as well. In more than half the country, it is legal to fire an LGBTQ person solely based on their identity. A union contract is the only protection LGBTQ workers can attain against such discrimination and this ruling puts even those protections in jeopardy.

“But working people built unions out of struggle, and in worse environments than this. There are unions that are thriving in Right to Work states — just ask the Culinary Workers Union that almost shut down Las Vegas earlier this month. Working people can and are fighting back. This decision issues a very clear message to all working people: get organized and fight.”

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Pride At Work organizes mutual support between the organized Labor Movement and the LGBTQ Community for social and economic justice. We seek full equality for LGBTQ Workers in our workplaces and unions and we organize in the spirit of the union movement’s historic motto, “An Injury to One is An Injury to All.” Learn more at www.prideatwork