Feb. 1, 2021, White Plains, NY – Westchester County DA Miriam E. Rocah today issued the following statement reiterating her support made public last week for repeal of New York State’s ‘loitering for the purpose of engaging in a prostitution offense’ law:
“Identifying potential law breakers by the way they look or the clothes they wear, rather than based on their actions, is the exact opposite of the way our justice system is supposed to work. That’s why I strongly support the immediate repeal of New York State’s ‘loitering for the purpose of engaging in a prostitution offense’ law. This statute is better known as the ‘walking while trans’ ban, because it has been widely used to target trans individuals, especially trans women of color. Using a law like this to single out specific individuals in our community does long-lasting harm not just to those who are targeted but also to the community at large, by feeding the perception that the entire justice system is biased and unfair.
“That is why I am proud to join the Repeal #WalkingWhileTrans Ban coalition and other advocates as well as fellow members of the District Attorneys Association of New York State to support the leadership efforts of Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie; repeal legislation sponsors Senator Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Amy Paulin; and co-sponsors including Senators Jamaal Bailey, Alessandra Biaggi, Pete Harckham, Shelley Mayer and Elijah Reichlin-Melnick and Assemblymembers Thomas Abinanti, Chris Burdick, Sandy Galef, Steven Otis, J. Gary Pretlow and Nader Sayegh.”
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Media Contact
Dan Weiller, Director of Communications
(914) 995-3586
dweiller@westchesterda.net
