A LGBT RIGHTS AGENDA FOR NEW YORK

The next Attorney General must ensure that all New Yorkers are treated with dignity
and respect. I am firmly committed to LGBT rights and will use the Attorney
General’s Office to proactively work towards greater equality in New York State.
Albany has stalled for far too long in providing LGBT New Yorkers with basic civil
rights such as marriage, freedom from bullying and freedom from discrimination. My
six-point LGBT rights plan includes:

 Creating a LGBT Advocate Position in the Civil

Rights Bureau – The Attorney General’s Office
needs a strong, centralized voice on issues
important to the LGBT Community. As Attorney
General, I will assign a senior member of the civil
rights bureau to act as an advocate for LGBT
community. The LGBT advocate will coordinate
litigation and advocacy to ensure problems are
addressed comprehensively. I will also direct the
Advocate to coordinate with LGBT organizations to
provide resources on the types of legal
documentation that each committed same-sex
couple should have, such as a health care proxy.

 Fighting Proactively for Marriage Equality – New

York’s current policies towards same-sex civil “If I have the privilege to become
marriage are unfair and irrational. I support full
marriage equality on the state and federal level. As New York’s next attorney
Attorney General, I will bring a new equal protection general, I will — as the state’s
claim demanding marriage equality based on my chief law enforcement officer —
order as Insurance Superintendent. Upon taking ensure that every state agency
office, I will ensure that all state agencies and
and private company provides
private companies provide full spousal benefits to
LGBT New Yorkers who marry out-of-state. An in- those same-sex couples who are
depth discussion on this topic can be found in my able to marry outside New York
February 19, 2010 op-ed in Gay City News. with the benefits and rights they
are entitled to under New York
law.”
(over)
DINALLO FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL, INC. • P.O. BOX 1645 • NEW YORK, NY 10150 • 212.944.9640 • WWW.ERICDINALLO.COM
PRINTED IN HOUSE
 A LGBT RIGHTS AGENDA FOR NEW YORK
(continued)

 Prosecuting and Preventing Bullying in Schools – Schools should be places

where children learn, not places they are subjected to emotional and physical abuse.
I support the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) and will aggressively enforce its
provisions if it is passed. But, we cannot keep waiting for Albany to act. As Attorney
General, I will seek a declaratory federal court judgment that the often systematic
bullying that LGBT students face is a civil rights issue that needs immediate action by
the schools.

 Protecting LGBT Families – New York’s LGBT families are forced to live with legal
uncertainties regarding their rights. I will work to enhance same-sex non-biological
parent rights, monitor enforcement of the recent ruling that partners with civil unions
and out of state marriages can seek custody and visitation rights, advocate
streamlined second-parent adoption, enforce hospital visitation rights and push for
equality in New York State tax treatment for same-sex couples.

 Fighting the Ban on Gay Male Blood

Donation – The FDA’s ban on blood “As Superintendent of Insurance
donations from men who have sex with men for New York State, I ordered
is wrong. It unfairly stigmatizes gay men, insurance companies to provide
while allowing heterosexuals with any
number of risky sexual practices to donate spousal benefits to same-sex
blood. The Red Cross and American couples married legally out of
Medical Association have called for a state. In addition to aggressively
change to the lifetime ban and urged the prosecuting discrimination and
FDA to change its policies. It’s not just a civil
rights issue, it’s a public health issue – New violence against the LGBT
York’s hospitals periodically face severe community, I will use the powers
blood supply shortages. In the public health of the Attorney General’s Office to
interest of all New Yorkers, I will bring an
action to overturn the FDA ban on blood advance LGBT rights in New York
donations from gay men and replace it with a – even if Albany fails to act.”
sensible and scientific policy that ensures
blood safety.

 Supporting Transgender Non-Discrimination – I fully support the Gender

Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA). It is wrong that transgender New
Yorkers can be legally discriminated against in housing, employment, public
accommodation, credit, and education in many parts of New York. The state needs to
catch up with New York City, Buffalo, and other cities that have banned this kind of
discrimination. As Attorney General, I will strongly advocate for GENDA’s passage in
Albany.

DINALLO FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL, INC. • P.O. BOX 1645 • NEW YORK, NY 10150 • 212.944.9640 • WWW.ERICDINALLO.COM
PRINTED IN HOUSE