LAWS PASSED IN 2002
PROHIBITING GENDER-BIASED LANGUAGE IN ALL CITY DOCUMENTS (Intro 27A)
This bill amends the Administrative Code to ensure that all laws, documents, and materials produced by the City of New York in the future will be written in gender-neutral language and will not include gender-biased terminology.
SPONSORING MEMBERS: Council Members Reed, Davis, Gerson, Jackson,
Koppell, Liu, Perkins, Reyna, Sears and Brewer; also Council Member Lopez
COUNCIL VOTE:
48 for, 1 against, 2 absent
Approved by council December 4, 2002
Signed by mayor December 19, 2002
YES: Joseph Addabbo, Jr., Tony Avella, Maria Baez, Charles Barron, Tracy
Boyland, Gale Brewer, Yvette Clarke, Leroy Comrie, James Davis, Bill
DeBlasio, Ruben Diaz, Erik Dilan, Simcha Felder, Lewis Fidler, Helen
Foster, James Gennaro, Eric Gioia, Martin Golden, Sarah Gonzalez, Robert
Jackson, Allan Jennings, Melinda Katz, Andrew Lanza, Margarita Lopez,
John Liu, Miguel Martinez, Michael McMahon, Gifford Miller, Hiram
Monserrate, Eva Moskowitz, Michael Nelson, James Oddo, Bill Perkins,
Madeline Provenzano, Christine Quinn, Domenic Recchia, Philip Reed,
Diana Reyna, Joel Rivera, James Sanders, Larry Seabrook, Helen Sears,
Jose Serrano, Kendall Stewart, Peter Vallone, Jr., Albert Vann, David
Weprin, David Yassky.
NO: Dennis Gallagher
ABSENT: Alan Gerson, G. Oliver Koppell
GENDER-BASED DISCRIMINATION (Intro 24)
This law aims to protect homosexuals and transsexuals from discrimination in
areas like housing, employment, dining, and shopping. While New York City's
Human Rights Law protects all individuals from discrimination, this bill
specifically guards against discrimination based on "perceived gender
identity, self-image, appearance, behavior or expression." (Read more about
this issue in Gotham
Gazette).
SPONSORING MEMBERS: Council members Bill Perkins, Margarita Lopez, Christine
Quinn, Philip Reed, the Speaker (Council Member Miller), Eva Moskowitz,
Angel Rodriguez, Tracy Boyland, Tony Avella, James Davis, Bill DeBlasio,
James Gennaro, Alan Gerson, Melinda Katz, Oliver Koppell, John Liu, Michael
McMahon, Hiram Monserrate, Joel Rivera, Helen Sears, David Weprin, Gale
Brewer, Charles Barron, Jose Serrano and Kendall Stewart; also council
members Joseph Addabbo Jr., Miguel Martinez, David Yassky, Yvette Clarke,
Maria Baez and Dominic Recchia Jr.
COUNCIL VOTE: 45 for, 5 against, 1 abstaining
Passed by council April 23, 2002
Signed by mayor April 30, 2002
YES: Joseph Addabbo, Jr., Tony Avella, Maria Baez, Charles Barron, Tracy
Boyland, Gale Brewer, Yvette Clarke, Leroy Comrie, James Davis, Bill
DeBlasio, Erik Dilan, Lewis Fidler, Helen Foster, James Gennaro, Alan
Gerson, Eric Gioia, Robert Jackson, Allan Jennings, Melinda Katz, G. Oliver
Koppell, John Liu, Margarita Lopez, Miguel Martinez, Michael McMahon,
Gifford Miller, Hiram Monserrate, Eva Moskowitz, Michael Nelson, , Bill
Perkins, Madeline Provenzano, Christine Quinn, Domenic Recchia, Philip Reed,
Diana Reyna, Joel Rivera, Angel Rodriguez, James Sanders, Larry Seabrook,
Helen Sears, Jose Serrano, Kendall Stewart, Peter Vallone, Jr., Albert Vann,
David Weprin, David Yassky
NO: Simcha Felder, Dennis Gallagher, Martin Golden, Andrew Lanza, James Oddo
ABSTAINED: Ruben Diaz
RECOGNIZING DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS (Int. 114)
New York City passed a law in 1998 legalizing same-sex domestic
partnerships, but it does not recognize partnerships obtained outside of
city limits. This bill would enable people to who have registered status in
other places to receive the same benefits and legal rights as those
registered in the city. (
Read more about this issue in Gotham Gazette).
SPONSORING MEMBERS: The Speaker (Councilmember Gifford Miller) and council
members Christine Quinn, Maria Baez, Gale Brewer, Yvette Clarke, Bill
DeBlasio, Alan Gerson, Robert Jackson, Miguel Martinez, Eva Moskowitz, Bill
Perkins, Philip Reed, Joel Rivera and David Yassky; also Councilmember
Oliver Koppell.
COUNCIL VOTE: 37 for, 7 against, 4 abstaining
Passed by council August 15, 2002
Signed by mayor August 27, 2002
YES: Joseph Addabbo, Jr., Tony Avella, Maria Baez, Charles Barron, Gale
Brewer, Yvette Clarke, Leroy Comrie, James Davis, Bill DeBlasio, Erik Dilan,
Lewis Fidler, Helen Foster, Alan Gerson, Eric Gioia, Robert Jackson, Melinda
Katz, G. Oliver Koppell, Andrew Lanza, Margarita Lopez, Michael McMahon,
Gifford Miller, Hiram Monserrate, Bill Perkins, Christine Quinn, Domenic
Recchia, Philip Reed, Joel Rivera, Angel Rodriguez, Helen Sears, Jose
Serrano, Kendall Stewart, Albert Vann, David Weprin, David Yassky.
NO: Ruben Diaz, Simcha Felder, Dennis Gallagher, Martin Golden, Michael
Nelson, James Oddo, Madeline Provenzano.
ABSTAINING: James Gennaro, Miguel Martinez, James Sanders, Peter Vallone,
Jr.
ABSENT: Tracy Boyland, Allan Jennings, John Liu, Eva Moskowitz, Diana Reyna,
Larry Seabrook.