New York’s Proposal 1, the so-called “Equal Rights” amendment to the state Constitution, which is on the ballot in November, will not advance equal rights. It will instead wreak further havoc on voting integrity; undermine parental rights; attack religious freedom; and enshrine unrestricted abortion, up to the moment of birth, into the New York State Constitution.

By prohibiting “discrimination” based on “national origin,” this proposal could be used to:

• Grant illegal immigrantsthe right to vote in our elections—something the left has already been trying to do in local jurisdictions, including New York City.
• Guarantee illegal immigrants access to all public services—welfare, housing, health care, education—with taxpayers footing the bill.

By prohibiting “discrimination” based on “gender identity, gender expression,” as well as “age,” this proposal could be used to: 

• Grant a constitutional right for underage minors to have permanent “gender-altering” treatments and surgeries without parental knowledge or consent.
• Allow minors, even elementary school children, to “transition” at school, changing their names or “pronouns” and accessing puberty blockers and hormone treatments without parental knowledge or consent.
• Require women and underage girls to compete against biological men and boys in scholastic sports, and share restroom, locker room and shower facilities with biological males.

Prop 1 also purports to ban “discrimination” based on “pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.” This, joined to the “age” and “gender” provisions, could be used to:

• Allow minor girls to have abortions without parental knowledge or consent.
• Mandate that Catholic and other religious hospitals perform abortions and “gender transitioning” surgical mutilations, even on minors—or else close their doors, depriving millions of New Yorkers of the vital services provided by religious healthcare institutions.
• Require that faith-based charities either act in violation of their religious beliefs—for example, housing biological males in shelters for abused women—or be shut down, depriving vulnerable people of their charitable services.
• Force pro-life pregnancy support centers to provide referrals for abortion, or close their doors, depriving mothers and babies of their life-affirming care.
• Open the door for churches and religious organizations to be sued if their teachings, ministries, or hiring policies conflict with the “rights” of gender expression and identity.
• Enshrine New York’s nine-month abortion “right” into the state Constitution.

Prop 1 is a collection of self-evident contradictions:

•  Under the guise of prohibiting discrimination, it would undermine election integrity, and discriminate against people and institutions of faith.
• Under the guise of protecting privacy, it would destroy women’s privacy in restrooms, locker rooms, showers, and homeless shelters.
• Under the guise of promoting equality, it would undermine women’s equality in sports.
• And of course, it denies equality for unborn children, whose mass destruction would be further advanced by its provisions.

Please help spread the word. To protect parental rights, religious freedom, election integrity, and the sanctity of life:  VOTE “NO” on Prop 1

Rick Hinshaw, an active Catholic and pro-life leader, served as editor of The Long Island Catholic, communications director for the Catholic League, and Conservative Party State Committeeman. More info at “Reading the Signs” website: RickHinshaw.com