“We all may not always feel up to speed on, or totally comfortable with, how quickly society is changing. There are a lot of things about how people look or how they identify that we may not understand or agree with personally. But everyone deserves to be treated fairly and not be discriminated against because of who they are, and that’s what this amendment does. It’s not about changing existing laws or handing out special rights: it’s just about preventing discrimination.”
Q: What are some of the specific impacts of what Prop 1 will do?
It cements New Yorkers’ right to abortion in our state constitution.
It helps women who have been victims of domestic abuse hold their abusers accountable in court.
It makes sure the government cannot discriminate against older New Yorkers or pregnant New Yorkers, or LGBTQ New Yorkers when it comes to hiring, promotions, and pay.
It ensures that older New Yorkers and those with disabilities have the access they need to vote.
It would protect access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, birth control, and IVF, by making sure that politicians can’t pass abortion bans or restrict reproductive healthcare options.
Q: Why do we need to pass this amendment in New York, where abortion is already legal?
Many of us took it for granted that our reproductive freedom would always be protected. When Roe v. Wade fell, we were shocked, and we realized our rights aren’t as safe as we thought. Since then, reproductive rights like abortion, birth control, and IVF have been under attack across the country.
New York’s current laws can be changed or rolled back depending on who is in the state legislature or Governor’s Mansion. A staunchly anti-abortion candidate came close to winning the Governor's Mansion for the first time in decades — and had pledged to put people who wanted to roll back abortion rights in charge of our health system.
We need to act now. New Yorkers must vote this November and make sure our rights are not left to out-of-touch, anti-abortion politicians who want to restrict our rights and freedoms.
Q: Will Prop 1 take away parents’ rights over their children?
No, that’s simply not true. Let’s be clear – this is a narrative being pushed by politicians to try to divide and distract us from what this amendment is actually about: protecting the right to abortion, preventing discrimination, and guaranteeing our personal freedoms. They know abortion rights are overwhelmingly popular, so they’re desperate to talk about anything else.
Q: Won’t this amendment make sure boys are playing on girls’ sports teams?
That’s just not true – Prop 1 does not change existing law. Let’s be clear – this is a narrative being pushed by politicians using a small handful of innocent kids as political pawns to divide New Yorkers and distract us from what this amendment is actually about: protecting the right to abortion and guaranteeing our personal freedoms. The amendment simply stops LGBT New Yorkers from being discriminated against.
What about the locker rooms?
That’s a lie. This amendment does not control who uses what locker room; this is just another dangerous lie meant to divide and distract us from what this amendment is actually about.
Q: Will this amendment allow minors to consent to gender-affirming surgery?
No. These claims are false and just not credible. In New York, parental consent is already required for minors to receive any medical procedure related to gender-affirming care, and this amendment does not change that. It will NOT allow young people to have surgeries without their parents’ consent.
This is a narrative being pushed by politicians using a small handful of innocent kids as political pawns to divide New Yorkers and distract us from what this amendment is actually about: protecting the right to abortion and guaranteeing our personal freedoms. The amendment does not change the existing laws. It simply stops LGBT New Yorkers from being discriminated against.
Q: Will Prop 1 change our immigration process/exacerbate a migration issue?
The protections in this amendment have nothing to do with our country’s asylum or immigration laws. They are simply about closing loopholes in the state constitution to make sure that all New Yorkers are protected against discrimination from the government, no matter their race or ethnicity. In fact, several other states have protections for national origin in their state constitutions — including conservative states like Texas, Florida, and Louisiana.
Q: Will Prop 1 allow non-citizens to vote?
No — this is completely false. People saying otherwise are trying to divide and distract us from what this amendment is actually about: simply making sure all New Yorkers have their basic, fundamental rights and freedoms protected.
Q: What about all the unintended consequences of the amendment? Isn’t it written vaguely?
The amendment is straightforward: it closes loopholes in the state constitution to ensure that no New Yorker can be discriminated against by the government. It does not hand out special rights to anyone and doesn’t change common sense laws on the books. This amendment is about protecting the rights we currently have – including the right to abortion – and not leaving them up to out-of-touch politicians in the future.
Q: Why isn’t abortion mentioned in the Prop 1 ballot language?
The current ballot language does a disservice to New York voters by hiding the ball about the essential impacts of this critical amendment. Prop 1 will permanently protect New Yorkers’ fundamental freedoms, including the right to abortion — and voters deserve to know that at the ballot box. Now, it’s our job to make sure all voters know that Prop 1 will protect abortion and our fundamental freedoms when they head into the ballot box.