New York— “We stand in solidarity with the LGBT communities of Indiana and Arkansas. At the hand of Indiana Governor Mike Pence, with a stroke of a pen, they are now living in a state that openly sanctions discrimination against them and their families. Governor Pence has repeatedly stated that discrimination is not a ‘Hoosier Value’. If this is true, we call him and the Indiana State Legislature to repeal this legislation immediately and replace it with legislation that protects LGBT people from discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and hate violence. We also call upon Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchison and the Legislature to withdraw a similar bill that would authorize discrimination against LGBT people in their state.

“We are not silent when it comes to our own, as well. In our state there is work still to be done to protect transgender individuals of discrimination, so we call upon the New York State Legislature to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act. Finally, we urge the U.S. Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. It is time for LGBT people to be protected from unjust, immoral and what should be illegal discrimination. It is time for all governments to live up to our shared values of respect, inclusion and equality.”

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