Bill would give Albany’s LGBTQ community a voice

Assemblywoman Anna Kelles hopes that her bill, once passed in the state Assembly and Senate, will give queer voices in Albany a seat at the table. It creates an LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee to advise elected officials on the issues facing queer New Yorkers.

“How can we best serve them with all the services we offer?” Kelles asked. “When it comes to education systems, state government has a role to play in every way.”

But Elisa Crespo, executive director of the New Pride Agenda, says there could be some obstacles. Last year, the governor vetoed a similar bill. She also had concerns about what might happen to the body if the majority shifted from Democrats to Republicans.

“It could be a tricky issue if the question of who is in control in Albany changes in the future,” she said.

Kelles believes this legislation comes at the right time, especially as the U.S. The Supreme Court will hear a case about whether states can restrict transgender youth’s access to gender-affirming care.

“The impact they could have is pretty profound,” said the representative of the 125th Congressional District. “And the importance of that, as I said, is incalculable, especially in this day and age.”

Crespo says while she hopes the governor signs the bill, lawmakers must also work to protect the LGBTQ+ community from what she sees as ongoing attacks, which include battles within school boards over book bans and the ban on transgender athletes participating in Nassau County.

“We need to show policymakers, some of whom are doing this for political reasons, that these kinds of decisions could have political consequences,” Crespo said. “Because the majority of people in New York and across the country support LGBTQ rights.”

The board would also submit an annual report to the governor and other officials outlining the most important issues facing the LGBTQ+ community in New York State.