On October 21, opponents of Proposal 1 held a press conference at New York City Hall, expressing concerns that if the proposal is passed, it could infringe on parents’ rights to know about their children’s gender orientation and lead to transgender individuals using female facilities and joining women’s sports teams, severely violating women’s rights.
During the event, Minority Leader of the City Council, Joseph Borelli, pointed out that abortion rights in New York have been in place for many years without being threatened. He believes that supporters are misleading the public and that it could have serious implications on parental rights, women’s rights, and freedom of speech.
Former swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, Paula Scanlan, shared her experience where transgender athlete Lia Thomas was allowed to compete against female athletes and use female changing rooms during her time on the university swim team. Thomas defeated many talented female athletes and won the NCAA championship. Scanlan expressed that this has caused significant harm to female athletes and if Proposal 1 is passed in New York, it will completely destroy women’s rights.
Maud Maron, a member of the Manhattan District 2 Community Education Council as well as a mother of three students in New York City public schools, also expressed concerns about Proposal 1 potentially leading to schools concealing children’s gender orientations from parents, resulting in boys joining girls’ sports teams.
Joann Ariola, a Republican City Council member from Queens, warned that the vague terms of Proposal 1 could be subject to radical judicial interpretation, causing irreparable harm to New Yorkers and potentially granting illegal immigrants voting rights.
Chen Huihua, the founding president of the New York Alliance, pointed out that the potential reverse discrimination brought about by Proposal 1 actually violates the U.S. Constitution, fostering division among different communities in New York and posing a destructive threat to civil society.
In an interview, City Council member Vickie Paladino said, “Can you imagine your son coming home from school and saying he wants to become a girl? If you disagree, the government will find a way to take your son away. We are currently (opposing this proposal) to protect parents from having their children taken away by the government.”
Constitutional rights lawyer Bobbie Anne Cox warned from a legal perspective that this is extremely dangerous and will require individuals to defend their rights in court, consuming significant time, money, energy, and resources.
She further explained, “Proposal 1 is actually a Trojan horse and is not what it claims to be on the surface. If passed, its legal implications would be severe and far-reaching, causing significant changes in the daily lives of New Yorkers. Our constitution will be rewritten, leading to many legal amendments.”
Cox further pointed out that Part B of the proposal involves reverse discrimination, stating, “It may not even appear on your ballot, but if passed, the government will be able to legally discriminate against you in the name of correcting past discrimination or preventing future discrimination. This is incredibly risky.”
City Council members Robert Holden from Queens and Kristy Marmorat from the Bronx also attended the event.