Gay And Lesbian Rights Attorney in Rochester, NY
The all-too-significant relevance of rights cannot be whittled down, given the human rights struggles in recent times. If these struggles have proved anything, It is that rights matter to the existence of individuals because they dictate what certain individuals have access to as well as how they should be treated. When the rights of humans weren’t codified, we had a world where people were treated unfairly and subjected to degrading forms of human treatment. Gays and lesbians have become a part of our society, and there is the need to recognize them and even recognize rights that accrue to them. These rights would help guide people in how they would be treated and even allow them to seek justice in case such rights are breached. Being gay means being attracted to same-sex, and lesbians are women that are attracted to women. New York has been active in recognizing Gay and Lesbian Rights in New York and these rights have gone through phases, and for this, New York is regarded as one of the cities that is friendly to gays and lesbians.
History of Gay And Lesbian Rights In New York
The history of gay and lesbian rights in New York is one that cannot be appraised without talking about the Stonewall Riot of 1969, which broke out in a gay club. However, gay clubs have existed in New York since 1890.
The Stonewall Riot broke out because the New York Police raided a gay club and arrested people that were found in the club. As a way of response, people in that neighborhood protested the unfair arrest, and the Stonewall Riot did not make a significant change for gays and lesbians in New York alone but also in other parts of America.
The rights of gays and lesbians in New York wasn’t limited to bars, but it also included books as there were authors that were gay that openly wrote about it and examples of such books are Stepping Out: Nine Walks Through New York City’s Gay and Lesbian Past by Daniel Hurewitz and The Queerest Places: A Guide to Gay and Lesbian Historic Sites by Paula Martinac.
The rights of gays and lesbians in New York can equally be traced to laws or cases that repealed discriminatory laws, and an example is People v Onofre that was decided in 1980 where the New York Court of Appeals ruled to favor the freedom of homosexuals and declared the New York Sodomy Statute unconstitutional.
The history is a long one that shows how gays and lesbians started being recognized and how their rights were equally granted as they are normal individuals that shouldn’t be denied access to social amenities. This history is a long one as New York gays and lesbians started participating in political activities and equally started forming movements.
The Rights Of Gays And Lesbians In New York In Recent Times
It is important to state that gay and lesbian rights stem directly from laws that have been enacted in New York. In 2003, New York enacted the Sexual Orientation Non-discrimination Act that allows lesbians and gays to have access to housing services and employment opportunities without being subjected to any form of discrimination. This means they have the right to favorable working conditions as well as the right to be protected in any environment they decide to reside in.
The above law also sets the pace for how gays and lesbians should be treated in schools. It states the form of treatment they should be subjected to, which is a fair treatment without being made to feel unwanted.
Employers also do not have the right to unlawfully terminate the employment of a worker that is either gay or lesbian, or basically, a person’s employment should not be terminated based on their sexuality. In consonance with this cause, there are cities in New York that have enacted laws that frown at discrimination against gays and lesbians, and some of these cities are Buffalo, Nassau, Tompkins County, and Town of Brighton.
The accessibility of citizens to the health sector is one that is of great importance and New York has the LGBTQ Health Care Bill of Rights that makes it illegal to discriminate against people for their sexuality, and it equally provides the right form of treatment people that are gays and lesbians should be subjected to.
Above, we outline the gay and lesbian rights in New York that can be granted at all times. In instances that these rights are not granted, the courts can always swing into justice. We are all humans, and rights are of the essence to every individual. It is important to note that the rights citizens that are not gays or lesbians have access to are still granted to gays and lesbians, the rights stated above came up as a result of the treatment gays lesbians were subjected to or are likely to be subjected to.
Conclusion
The existence of the gay and lesbian rights in New York is important because it reflects their acceptance. It not only gives them a sense of belonging and recognition, but it equally shows that they are protected because rights exist to safeguard citizens and even ensure a form of redress in case such rights are breached.
The rights granted by New York to gays and lesbians also goes a long way in regulating how citizens would react to them and would help reduce discriminatory acts against gays and lesbians. This means that their rights become a tool of regulation as the citizens are continually forced to see and treat them as humans that shouldn’t be treated differently wherever they are found.
Are your gay and lesbian rights being breached or do you know anyone whose rights have been breached in NY, Rochester, or anywhere in the world? You should contact us to help you as there are legal instruments that exist to help fight against the injustice, and we are here to adequately help you get the result you desire.
Do contact us today for help.
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