Post-Election Message from our Executive Director

Lawyers are notorious for their discomfort around uncertainty, and I, for one, am no exception to that time-honored rule. Today, let us focus on what we know for certain:

• New York State overwhelmingly approved adding protections against unequal treatment based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy, to the New York State Constitution.
• Nationwide, there are many historic legislative victories to celebrate, including Delaware Representative, Sarah McBride, who will be the first openly transgender member of Congress.
• No less than 27 prospective judges in the New York City metro area rated “Approved” or “Highly Approved” by our Judiciary Committee will be taking the bench, including the re-election of the Honorable Cynthia S. Kern.

As a bar association, we are a nonpartisan organization. We pride ourselves on being a welcoming professional organization open to everyone, and we will continue to work with elected representatives to ensure full equality for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Regardless of yesterday’s election outcomes, we know our work is far from over, and our work is only possible because of you. 

We continue to envision a world where being a member of the LGBTQ+ community in and of itself will not subject someone to additional legal barriers to creating a family, accessing healthcare, and working in one’s chosen profession. I am certain we will all one day live in such a world. 

Yours in Solidarity,

Shain Filcher, Esq. (they/he/she), Executive Director