In 2022, the overturning of Roe v. Wade stripped millions of people from the right to an abortion, leaving it up to states’ discretion whether this fundamental right remains intact. More than half of the states across the country are now under restrictive abortion policies, with detrimental consequences for reproductive health.
The fallout from the Dobbs ruling set off alarm bells for what we fear to come, should other Supreme Court rulings be revisited and overturned: the reversal of marriage equality, regulation over private consensual sexual activity between adults, and the right to contraception. Additionally, emboldened by the Dobbs decision, politicians are wielding their power to strip away the rights and freedoms of individuals — from restricting abortion access to targeting LGBTQ youth in schools and other policies squashing our children’s self-expression and authenticity.
All together, it is undeniable that our rights and freedoms are under threat in the U.S.
To fight back, New Yorkers must take a stand and vote in favor of the New York Equals Rights Amendment (NY ERA) — which will be Proposal 1 on the ballot — this November.
Proposal 1 offers a powerful means to safeguard the rights of all New Yorkers, enshrining our rights to an abortion in the state Constitution and other protections by prohibiting discrimination based on a person’s ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy status. If passed, this constitutional amendment would be the most expansive list of protected categories in any state.
While New York State boasts laws designed with such protections in mind, our state Constitution currently only protects us from discrimination based on race and religion. This is far from adequate for the equitable society we all want to have. Protective laws that are passed by our legislature are vulnerable to the shifting tides of political power. What is secure today could be dismantled tomorrow, depending on who holds office. Proposal 1 empowers voters to cement their most essential freedoms, providing a safeguard that transcends the volatile nature of every election cycle.
We must also remember that abortion rights are intrinsically connected to all decision-making over our bodies and futures. Already, the overturning of Roe has exacerbated pre-existing racial disparities that Black, Indigenous, and Latinx women especially face. By protecting New Yorkers from discrimination based on pregnancy status, Proposal 1 would extend protections to all reproductive health care people who can become pregnant may want or need.
Health care access is especially dire for Black and Brown and LGBTQ people. For instance: lesbian, bisexual, and queer cisgender women, as well as trangender men already face less access to health care services and are less likely to have received basic screenings, such as Pap tests or mammograms. Trans men and nonbinary people face inadequate reproductive health care due to lack of education among providers, or outright mistreatment.
We must protect the hard earned and significant victories that we have achieved in New York — such as robust anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ New Yorkers and laws protecting abortion rights. Proposal 1 is a pivotal component of our ongoing efforts to secure lasting, meaningful protections for all — avoiding future reliance on state legislatures to maintain our fundamental rights post-Dobbs via legislation alone.
It is crucial that we continue this work, uplift marginalized communities, create a more just society, and ensure that New York remains a beacon of equality and justice. New Yorkers can do just that by passing Proposal 1. This is vital to fortify equality for all New Yorkers, especially as we face a rise in discriminatory rhetoric and attacks on communities that have faced discrimination for far too long.
New York saw a 90% spike in reported hate crimes between 2020 and 2022 — a grave reality that far too many New Yorkers were on the receiving end of. When it comes to codifying protections against discrimination in our state Constitution, polling earlier this year showed that New Yorkers overwhelmingly support the protections promised by Proposal 1, and it is imperative that we pass it this November.
New Yorkers — not politicians — should control our own bodies, lives, families, and futures. When rights like reproductive health care are threatened, it is inextricably intertwined with threats to our overall bodily autonomy. We deserve to know that our fundamental rights are guaranteed, not subject to the caprices of political change or reliant upon state legislatures. By supporting Proposal 1, we take a decisive step towards safeguarding these rights, for ourselves, and for future generations.
Crespo is the executive director of the NEW Pride Agenda.