Priorities. Completely unconstitutional. You cannot add a whole class of people without legislative approval.

Via Utica OD:

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo used his executive power Thursday to expand the state’s anti-discrimination rules to safeguard transgender people, creating a protection advocates had been fighting for years to try to receive.

Cuomo, speaking to about 700 people at the Empire State Pride Agenda’s annual dinner, said the current law didn’t go far enough to protect the rights of all state residents. He directed the state’s Division of Human Rights to issue a regulation that would interpret the anti-discrimination law to prohibit discrimination against transgender people. His move prohibits discrimination against a transgender person when it comes to jobs, loans, schools and public accommodations.

“It is long overdue,” he said. “It is intolerable to allow discrimination of transgender individuals, and they are one of the most abused, harassed groups in society today.”

Gay, lesbian and transgender advocates have long pushed to include gender identity in the state’s anti-discrimination law, but while the measure passed the Assembly multiple times it remains stalled in the Republican-controlled senate. Republicans didn’t immediately respond to Cuomo’s order.

Cuomo’s administration says the new regulation provides essentially the same protections as that bill, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, or GENDA, but requires no legislative approval. Officials say the regulation makes New York the first state to take executive action to add transgender protections under law.

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