By now you have likely heard the great news. The NYS Legislature has passed the Dignity For All Students bill. A tremendous and historic victory for our children, the bill passed by a bipartisan vote of 58-3. DASA will now go to Governor Paterson, who is expected to sign the bill into law. DASA will become law on July 1.
First introduced in 2000, DASA had repeatedly been passed by the Assembly, never making it through the Senate.The bill will establish policies and procedures affording all students in public schools an environment free of harassment and discrimination. DASA will also establish training guidelines for teachers and administrators, create rules and preventions for discriminatory behaviors and actions and require the reporting of bias harassment incidents to the State Education Department.
The bill is the first time our Senate has voted to extend protections for transgendered people.
Stonewall Democrats of Western New York would like to commend our members who worked so hard over the last ten years to see this victory come to pass. This has happened because of you—because of every phone call and letter you wrote to our Senators, every trip you took to lobby in Albany, every story you have told and your commitment to seeing this issue through for our children.
We thank with the utmost gratitude our State legislators who have at long last passed this needed legislation. We especially thank our WNY area representatives Assemblymember Sam Hoyt and Senator Antoine Thompson, who have championed this bill and fought to see its passage through.
We thank you all.
The three Senators who voted no on DASA were Republicans George Maziarz (SD 62), Dale Volker (SD 59) and John DeFrancisco (SD 50.)
Stonewall Democrats of Western New York is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer Democratic voice in western New York. Our mission is to advocate for the LGBTQ community within the WNY area government and the Democratic Party.
Meeting Information
We meet the fourth Tuesday of each month at:
El Museo Gallery 91 Allen Street Buffalo, NY 14202-1320
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