NEW YORK — In honor of Transgender Remembrance Day, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced the first-ever Gender Identity training to be rolled out across statewide agencies.
The governor's office says the training will serve as a key resource for all state employees to ensure transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers receive non-discriminatory services when interacting with or while being employed by the State.
"Our state is the birthplace of the LGBTQ rights movement and as we observe Transgender Day of Remembrance and remember those we have lost to violence, we are doubling down on our commitment to protecting and expanding the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers," Governor Cuomo said in a press release. "Transgender and gender non-conforming people still face discrimination every day, making it all the more critical to ensure New York's state workforce has the tools, resources and understanding necessary to ensure New York always upholds the principles of dignity, respect and inclusivity."
The Gender Identity Toolkit will help define frequently used terms and acronyms; important information for supervisory and human resources staff; guidelines for providing appropriate customer service to transgender and gender non-conforming customers; guidance on the correct use of names and pronouns; best practices for the proper conduct and language in the workplace, relevant laws, policies, and regulatory activities; and transition planning guidance for transgender and gender non-conforming employees, according to the state.
Cuomo also announced that Niagara Falls will be lit the evening of Friday, November 20 the colors of the transgender flag, pink, white and light blue, to remember and honor the transgender people who have been lost to hate violence this year.
