➤ WALKING WHILE TRAN, from p.10
in a package of criminal justice
reform bills that were under consideration.
That same month, the State Senate
clinched the necessary votes for
the bill’s passage when there were
32 lawmakers who signed on in the
upper chamber. The bill, led by out
gay State Senator Brad Hoylman of
Manhattan and Assemblymember
Amy Paulin of Westcheter, has continued
to pick up steam throughout
the summer.
➤ BROOKLYN TASK FORCE, from p.10
preme Court judge tossed a lawsuit
lodged by six would-be candidates
who targeted the party for maintaining
the binary gender rules.
The judge in that case dismissed
the suit on procedural and timing
grounds without ruling on the
merits of the issue at stake.
Bichotte was clearly mindful of
that case in fi lling out the task
force’s original composition, which
included six members of the LGBTQ
community: Lambda Independent
Democrats of Brooklyn
president Jared Arader, Lisa Fane,
a former LID board member, as
well as four local County Committee
members elected as out queer
candidates — Josue Pierre, Julio
Peña III, Jesse Pierce, and Samy
Nemir-Olivares. (These County
Committee members also serve as
Democratic Assembly district leaders
and on the State Committee.)
“As a new county chair my fi rst
priority is to expand voting rights
and the ability for all to participate
in our democracy and run for offi
ce, and that very much includes
individuals in Brooklyn regardless
of identifi cation as binary — male
or female, non-binary, gender fl uid,
genderqueer, or transgender,” Bichotte
said on August 6.
The lack of non-binary and trans
people in the original 12-member
group, however, was immediately
noted both by plaintiffs in this past
spring’s lawsuit and by some of Bichotte’s
appointees.
“I was a little surprised when I
heard about it,” Derek Gaskill, one
of the lawsuit plaintiffs, told Gay
City News on August 7. “I know
some of the other plaintiffs didn’t
hear of it either.”
Nemir-Olivares, meanwhile, said
at the time, “It would be better if we
In a recent interview with Gay
City News, Hoylman expressed
confi dence that lawmakers would
eventually move on the bill.
“I’ve gathered a very strong number
of co-sponsors, I have support
from the Democratic caucus, and I
think it’s a matter of when we can
get it to the fl oor, not if,” Hoylman
said.
He added, “Those are decisions
made by the Senate majority
leader and I will continue to advocate
for the important bill.”
The sense of urgency by advocates
had the voices of the non-binary or
trans people who are most impacted
by these rules. I’m hopeful the
leadership of the Democratic Party
expands the task force in the coming
weeks.”
In a tweet following the decision
to to expand it, Nemir-Olivares
wrote, “While it would have been
ideal to have a larger and broader
non-binary & transgender representation,
we are glad that @
bkdems added two more voices at
the table including the extraordinary
@LamarWalks11 and @
TS_Candii whose life experiences
and advocacy would be ideal for
this panel.”
In a written statement, Walker
said, “The strengthening of our
democracy is achieved when we
expand its accessibility. As a Black
person who identifi es as non-binary,
fi nding respect and representation
in our community and within
our government has been a challenging
and hurtful experience.
Appointment to this Task Force
by our fi rst chairwoman of the
Brooklyn Democratic Party demonstrates
her true commitment to
our democracy.”
Gaskill, the former plaintiff,
however, was less impressed by Bichotte’
action, echoing Nemir-Olivares’
view that it would have been
“ideal” to add more non-binary and
transgender members.
“Trans/ non-binary people are
in the minority of this task force,”
he wrote in a Twitter post. “Only 2
of the now 18 sic seats are fi lled by
trans or non-binary people. None
of the trans or non-binary people
who petitioned for seats and were
denied for not declaring a gender
are on the task force.”
In an interview with Gay City
News, Gaskill acknowledged that
the non-binary and transgender
pushing for the repeal is
backed up by staggering statistics.
A whopping 91 percent of individuals
arrested under the loitering law
in 2018 were Black or Latinx and
80 percent were women, according
to the New York State Division of
Criminal Justice Services. During
that same year there was a major
spike — 120 percent — in arrests
under the law.
Some areas have taken their own
steps to scale back the discriminatory
practice. After a lawsuit exposing
the NYPD’s discriminatory
communities have both LGBTQ
and cisgender straight allies on the
task force, but said of the decision
to include seven cisgender women
and seven cisgender men but only
two non-binary or transgender
members, “I think that makes no
sense. I think it’s pretty obvious,
but I guess it’s not.”
Asked whether that disparity
shakes his confi dence that the task
force can produce an equitable outcome,
he said, “It’s not about the
result, it’s about how we get there.
I feel that if they cared about trans
and non-binary inclusivity, they
overpolicing of sex workers led to
a settlement last year, the police
department was forced to revised
its patrol guide to stop targeting
individuals on the basis of “gender
identity, clothing, and location.”
The Legal Aid Society, which
provides legal help to low-income
New Yorkers, said last year they
had clients who were locked up for
wearing a “short dress” or “a skirt
and high heels.” Others were arrested
when they were just standing
outside or walking from a grocery
store to their home.
would add a proportional amount
of trans and non-binary people on
the task force.”
Elaborating on his complaint
that none of the lawsuit plaintiffs
were included in the task force,
Gaskill said, “I feel like maybe as
fi rst time candidates Bichotte
questioned whether we were qualifi
ed… But we are the people who
lived it.”
In addition to Walker and Candii,
Bichotte also added South
Asian and Muslim activist Waqil
Ahmed and labor union activist
Jennifer Faucher.
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GayCityNews.com | August 27 - September 9, 2020 11
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