As votes are counted, New Yorkers have passed Proposition 1, expanding the state constitution's protections against discrimination.
Previously, the constitution prohibited discrimination based on race, creed, and religion. With its passage, it now explicitly bars civil rights denials based on "ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability" as well as "sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy."
Although these rights are already safeguarded by state law, enshrining them in the constitution will make it harder for future legislators to alter these protections.
