Legislation is already in place in New York that establishes a bill of rights for residents of long-term care facilities who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or living with HIV.
Very specifically, nursing homes and their staff are now prohibited from discriminating against any resident based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or HIV status.
Specifically, the S.1783A/A.372A legislation combats discrimination and mitigates the isolation faced by many older LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers, and those living with HIV, in long-term care facilities. Or that they are simply not accepted.
This regulatory step builds on existing anti-discrimination protections already established in the New York Human Rights Law by prohibiting these facilities from making decisions that have in some cases evicted a resident from a senior care facility.
“LGBTQIA+ and HIV-positive seniors are among our most vulnerable populations. Today we are taking steps to ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of who they are, who they love, or their HIV status, find safety. Hate will never have a place in New York,” Governor Kathy Hochul stressed when signing the legislation. […]
Click here to read the full piece. This story was originally published by Transatlantic Today on December 1, 2023.
