GRAANJ hails the introduction of Senate Bill 2437

Gender Rights Advocacy Assoc. of NJ press release, March 18, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Email: info@graanj.org
Contacts:
Barbra Casbar, Political Coordinator
Terry McCorkell, Education Outreach Coordinator
Jacqui Charvet, Communications/Internet Coordinator

GRAANJ, the Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey, hailed the introduction of Senate Bill 2437 this week. The bill would prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression.

GRAANJ's Political Director, Barbra Casbar, praised Senator Ellen Karcher of Freehold and Senator Joseph Vitale of Woodbridge for introducing the bill. "This is another big step forward toward full equality for transgender and gender-different people," said Ms. Casbar. "We will be working to recruit more sponsors and move the bill through the legislative process."

The Senate bill is identical to Assembly Bill 3678, introduced in January by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora of Princeton. The Assembly bill now has 11 sponsors and cosponsors and has been referred to the Judiciary Committee.

The bills would amend the state's Law Against Discrimination to codify protection for transgender and gender-different people. The Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey has already ruled, in the case of Enriquez vs. West Jersey Health Systems (2002), that state law prohibits discrimination against transgender people. A3678/S2437 will simply write the substance of that decision into the language of statute, making it clear to transgender and gender-different citizens that they enjoy legal protection against discrimination, and clarifying the law for New Jersey's businesses, which otherwise might face liability for actions taken in ignorance of case law.

Meanwhile, A3678 gained bipartisan support as Assembly member Joseph Azzolina, a Republican from Middletown, signed on as a cosponsor. The Gusciora/Karcher bills have the support of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Human Rights Campaign, the New Jersey Lesbian and Gay Coalition, Garden State Equality and the National Center for Transgender Equality as well as GRAANJ. It also has the support of the state Attorney General's office.

Steven Goldstein, Chairman of Garden State Equality and also a GRAANJ member, said: "There is no priority greater for New Jersey's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community -- and for our thousands of straight progressive allies across the state -- than the
passage of A3678 and S2437. How strongly does our greater community believe in this legislation? To us, it ranks right up there with the freedom to marry, no ifs ands or buts."

Jacqui Charvet, GRAANJ's Communications Coordinator, urged civil rights activists around the state to get involved in working for this exciting initiative. "New Jersey has a proud history of advancing civil rights for all of its people," she said. "Please join our efforts to keep New Jersey a State that Does Not Hate."

To write a letter to your legislator, donate to the cause, or get up-to-date information, surf to our website www.GRAANJ.org.

The Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey (GRAANJ) is a statewide membership organization committed to securing full civil rights for transgender and intersex people, and individuals of non-stereotypical gender identity and expression, without regard to race, religion or sexual orientation.