What to Know
- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order that bans state agencies from doing business with companies that promote discrimination
- Cuomo is also advancing legislation that will ban the use of a “gay panic” defense
- The moves are in response to Trump administration's actions that have rolled back civil rights protections for the LGBTQ community
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order on Saturday that bans all state agencies and authorities from doing business with companies that promote or tolerate discrimination.
Cuomo, a Democrat, is also advancing legislation that will ban the use of a "gay panic" defense in which a person accused of attacking someone attempts to blame the victim’s sexual orientation as the cause of the violent reaction.
Illinois and California are the only other states that ban the gay panic defense.
The anti-discrimination initiatives were announced Saturday night during the 17th Annual Human Rights Gala in Manhattan.
The measures are in response to the Trump administration's actions that have rolled back civil rights protections, including for members of the LGBTQ community.
"New York will fight every action this federal administration takes that attempts to undo progress we have made," Cuomo said, adding that the executive order reaffirms the state’s commitment of protecting everyone’s rights.
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“We will enforce our robust protections against discrimination, and continue to build on our legacy of protecting all of us, not simply some of us," Cuomo said.
