Staten Islander Launches Campaign to Draw Attention to ‘Essential’ New York Ballot Proposal; here’s why

STATEN ISLAND, NY – Stapleton resident Lorie Honor has been an activist in the Staten Island community for years, but there is no issue she is more passionate about than equality for all.

Co-founder of Staten Island Women marching Honor is chief of staff for Vote equalitya national organization whose mission is to raise awareness of the fact that gender equality is not in the U.S. Constitution. In this role, Honor’s latest push for equality is a grassroots effort to draw attention to Proposition 1 – commonly known as New York’s Equal Rights Amendment – ​​which will appear on New Yorkers’ ballot in 2024.

Simply put, Proposal 1 aims to protect access to abortion in New York and add new protected classes to the state’s Equal Rights Amendment to prohibit discrimination against any person or group.

“We essentially passed the 28th Amendment, the Equal Rights Amendment, after more than 100 years of advocacy. However, it has yet to be published in the constitution,” Honor explains. “It is very, very important, and we hope that it will be a priority in a new government. But in the meantime, all states are trying to figure out how we can protect more of our people, in our communities, in our neighborhoods. This is Proposition 1 for New York.”

“Thirty-eight of the fifty states have passed an Equal Rights Amendment, including New York, but New York wants to expand protections, so we have the right and obligation to explore how we can do that,” Honor continued.

Grassroots movement

For this reason, Honor organized a grassroots movement of mostly women who distributed flyers and information about Proposition 1 on Staten Island. Their goal is to inform residents of the municipality about the voting proposal.

“This is the classic grassroots organization. This is social capital. This is calling your friends. This is making a voting plan. This tells people on the other side of the aisle that this is not political. This is literally about equality,” said Honor. “If you believe in equality, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat; it means that you really care about people – the people around you, the people in our community, and that you want to do everything you can to recognize their humanity.

The Rev. Kirstin Swanson, a Mariner’s Harbor resident and Episcopal priest and missionary who is working with Honor to educate the community about Proposition 1, said, “To me, Proposition 1 is about equal protection under the law. And to me, this comes from the belief that every person deserves to be considered equal under the law, and this is a way to ensure that by enshrining it in the state constitution.”

Swanson, who noted that she does not speak on behalf of her organization, Richmond Inter Parish Council, added: “To me, we are all equally beautifully created in the image of God. And if our laws do not treat us in a way that recognizes this equality, then we must do what we can to change our laws so that they do. And I think that’s what Proposition 1 is.”

What is proposal 1?

Statement 1 reads:

“No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws of this state or any part thereof. No person shall, because of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed, religion, or sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive health care and autonomy, be subject to any discrimination in ( his or her) their civil rights by another person or by a company, undertaking or institution, or by the State or any agency or subdivision of the State, pursuant to law.

The opposition to Proposition 1

Many Republicans have spoken out about the voting proposal. Several elected officials on the island expressed opposition to the proposal targeting transgender people in sports.

“We’re here to say we’re not going to support abortion. In fact, no one is supporting abortion, a right that has been challenged in this state for years,” Councilman Joe Borelli said at a recent meeting City Hall protests against Proposal 1. “This is a vote against your parental rights. This is a vote against women’s athletics. This is a vote against your choice. This is a vote against the freedom of speech enshrined elsewhere in the state constitution.”