Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Republican opposition to Proposition 1 on the ballot in New York this November continues to grow.
New York State Sen. Rob Ortt was joined Friday by a number of fellow elected officials and community activists to boldly oppose the ballot measure that's proposing an amendment to Section 11 of Article I of the state constitution in relation to equal protection.
With the amendments included in Proposition 1, Section 11 will protect against unequal treatment based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes, as well as reproductive healthcare and autonomy. The amendment also allows laws to prevent or undo past discrimination.
Ortt and the other Republican lawmakers feel the proposition is a far overreaching amendment championed by liberal Democrats.
"The political reason for Prop 1 is a vote turnout mechanism by Democrats around the idea that this is enshrining abortion protection in the Constitution. That's ridiculous," said Ortt on Friday. "I have a lifelong pro life voting record, I'm a pro life individual. Regardless of that, the reality is access to abortion in New York is not in any kind of danger. There are expansive, the most expansive abortion protection in law in New York, anywhere in the country."
Ortt says one of the policies that Proposition 1 is going to undermine in New York is Title IX.
"It's going to allow men in women's spaces. Locker rooms, dressing rooms, sports teams, that is what this will do. The legal language absolutely would allow transgender athletes, i.e. males, to compete as part of female sports teams. Males to go into female locker rooms. Males to go into female dressing rooms and spaces," Ortt noted. "So if you really care about protecting women, the answer is simple: You have to vote no."
"Proposition 1, also known as the Equal Rights Amendment, will ultimately end equality in New York State," added Olivia Bell, a local college athlete at SUNY Erie. "This proposition will allow biological men to participate in women's sports. As an athlete, this part of the bill is wildly unfair and absolutely absurd. It's a biological fact that men are stronger than women in almost all sports, and that's what will give men the ultimate advantage. The whole point of this bill is a claim that everyone will have fair opportunities, no matter what they identify as. But what the bill will allow isn't fair, and it will get rid of equal opportunities."
Another concern for Ortt and fellow Republicans with Proposition 1 is it will strip parents of their right to be active in their kids' lives.
"The legal language will allow people to come between parents and children. Once it's passed, if it was passed, it'll have the legal protection in the state constitution. It'll be legally sanctioned, there'll be no debate," Ortt said. "To me, anything that comes between parents raising their kids and parental involvement in their children's lives - 12-year-olds, 13-year-olds, 10-year-olds - that's evil. That is an evil move. I reject that completely. That is the last place government should be. And make no mistake, the language of this proposition will allow for exactly that."
"I'm a father in New York who saved his kindergarten age child from a forced gender conversion. Proponents of this amendment want you to think this isn't happening, but parents like myself are a testimony it can, and it is. Prop 1 would empower and protect the people who did this to my son. Your child could be next. Vote NO to Prop 1 to prevent this from happening to your family,” added Dennis Hannon, committee Chair of the Coalition to Protect Kids.
Also among the concerns of State Republicans is Proposition 1 will allow illegal immigrants and non-citizens to receive the same state benefits as New Yorkers with full citizenship.
Voters can choose either Yes or No to Proposition 1, which can be found on the back of the ballot.
"We're here to tell people, turn your ballot over, vote 'No' on Prop 1," Ortt added. "If you want to protect women, vote no on Prop 1. If you want to protect parental rights, vote no on Prop 1. If you don't think the government should be coming between a parent and their child, if you think that your daughter's volleyball team or softball team or soccer team should be composed of women - women born as women at birth - if you believe that, you have to vote no. And if you're a pro-choice man or woman out there voting no on this, it will protect your daughter and it will not change one iota with the abortion access in the State of New York."