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Queens lawmakers’ LGBTQ protection bills become law
BY JULIA MORO
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed bills
sponsored by Jackson Heights
Assemblywoman Jessica
González-Rojas and state Senator Jessica
Ramos that require utility, water
works and telephone companies to allow
customers to use their preferred
names and pronouns as well as to
protect survivors of traffi cking.
The bills were signed Friday, Nov. 12,
during National Transgender Awareness
Week.
According to González-Rojas’ offi
ce, 800,000 adults in New York are
a part of the LGBTQ+ community and
about 78,600 identify as transgender.
Since the name changing process is
costly and time-consuming, only 30%
of people legally change their name.
González-Rojas said that this legislation
comes at an important time when
hate crimes toward transgender people
has increased.
“At a time when we are witnessing
a record number of murders of trans
people, particularly trans women, and
of anti-LGBT pieces of legislation being
introduced and passed in other states
across the nation, New York must take
leadership and stand against hate. I’m
proud to have sponsored legislation
which will ensure that transgender
people are respected by utility corporations
as they do business in our state,”
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed two bills into law at the LGBT Community
Center, including one introduced by Assemblywoman Jessica González-
Rojas. Photo credit: Don Pollard/Offi ce of Governor Kathy Hochul
González-Rojas said.
According to an NYPD crime statistics
report, hate crimes have increased
by 98% this year. Hate crimes against
LGBTQ people increased by 188%, with
23 hate crimes reported this year compared
to eight in 2020.
The legislation would help prevent
the risk of transgender people being
found by a possibly abusive family
member or partner, reducing the risk
of harassment.
“This trans awareness week let us
move from awareness to action. To
our trans siblings, please know that
you have an ally in me because you
matter,” González-Rojas said. “Trans
lives matter.”
The START Act, introduced by
Ramos, relates to vacating convictions
for off enses committed due to
being a survivor of sex traffi cking,
labor trafficking and compelling
prostitution. The law builds on a law
passed in 2010 in New York allowing
victims of human traffi cking to vacate
prostitution-related criminal convictions
that were directly tied to their
victimization.
“During National Transgender
Awareness week, the notion of building
visibility around the structural
challenges experienced by trans and
gender-nonconforming New Yorkers
has to be more than a gesture. We have
to legislate in a way that honors and
protects their rights as members of our
community,” Ramos said. “The START
Act gives survivors of traffi cking the
fresh start they deserve — lessening
the barriers to employment, improving
access to appropriate immigration legal
remedies, and helping break cycles
of trauma for thousands of survivors
across our state.”
Hochul said these laws show that
New York stands with LGBTQ+ people.
“As we witness attacks on LGBTQ+
rights and protections around the
country, New York is once again declaring
that we are a state for all — one
where we don’t needlessly criminalize
victims and where our trans, gender
non-binary and gender non-conforming
communities are affi rmed,” Hochul
said. “My administration is committed
to equality and safety for everyone
and New York is able to lead the way
because of the work of our tireless
advocates and our partners in the
Legislature. Together we will continue
to build a state that is welcoming to all.”
Additional reporting by Angélica
Acevedo.
Bill preventing excessive noise from modifi ed vehicles by increasing fi nes signed by Hochul
BY ALICIA VENTER
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
A new law has been signed to increase enforcement
against motorists and repair shops that
illegally modify muffl ers and exhaust systems
which make motor vehicles “exceptionally noisy.”
The fi ne for selling, off ering for sale or installation
of modifi ed muffl ers would be upwards of
$1,000 — an $850 increase — according to the Senate
bill (S784B). The new law will go into eff ect on April
1, 2022.
Governor Kathy Hochul signed the legislation
this month, sponsored by Brooklyn state Senator
Andrew Gounardes and co-sponsored by Queens
Senator Joseph Addabbo.
“My offi ce receives numerous constituent complaints
pertaining to noise, including residents in
areas where illegal street drag racing takes place,”
Addabbo said. “Loud and excessive motor vehicle
noise is not only annoying, it has become a qualityof
life issue which can contribute to hearing loss in
exposed individuals of all ages.”
For enforcement, inspection stations will be required
to inspect motorcycles to ensure muffl ers and
exhausts have not been illegally modifi ed. This new
law deters both vehicle owners and repair shops. If
repair shops willfully violate this legislation three
times within 18 months, they can lose their operating
certifi cate.
The bill details the justifi cation for the legislation
by detailing how the illegal muffl ers increase the
noise and pollution levels emitted. The World Health
Organization is cited in the bill, as they have labeled
excessive noise as an “underestimated threat.”
“In a country where one in four people will suffer
from hearing, it represents an undue burden
on people that do not have the resources to protect
themselves from it,” the bill states. Photo via Getty Images
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