To kick off Pride Month, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the New York City Commission on Human Rights announced the launch of a public awareness campaign dedicated to the safety of transgender and gender-nonconforming people.<\/p>\n
In partnership with the newly established Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs as well as the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene, the \u201cTrans Rights Are Human Rights\u201d campaign will highlight existing protections for trans and gender-nonconforming New Yorkers covered by the city\u2019s Human Rights Law. Throughout June, informational graphics and banners designed by artist Dez Stavracos<\/a> will be displayed on public transit, paper advertisements, and electric kiosks across the city, outlining the rights to which trans New Yorkers are already entitled.<\/p>\n Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks to supporters during the 100-day address at the Knockdown Center in Maspeth, Queens, New York, on April 12, 2026. The mayor formally celebrates his 100th day in office. (Photo by Matthew Hoen\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/p>\n LGBTQ\\+ Advocates Urge Mamdani to Deliver More for Trans Youth in City Budget<\/a><\/p>\n The groups are urging the mayor to commit millions more dollars to queer and trans services.<\/p>\n Currently, the New York City Human Rights Law protects trans and gender non-conforming people\u2019s right to be addressed by the correct name, be gendered correctly, express their gender freely, and use facilities such as restrooms, locker rooms, and saunas that correspond with their gender. The law also prohibits housing, employment, and public space discrimination based on someone\u2019s gender identity or expression, as well as gender-based bias, harassment, and retaliation from law enforcement<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAt a time when the federal government is fueling attacks on trans people across this country, New York City is making something clear: We will protect your rights, defend your humanity and stand beside you without hesitation,\u201d Mamdani said in a press release Monday. \u201cEvery trans and gender non-conforming New Yorker needs to know that the law is on their side \u2014 whether in their workplace, their housing, or in public spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n The campaign comes after a particularly difficult spring for trans people across the United States. Since President Donald Trump took office for his second term last spring, his administration \u2014 in tandem with conservative state legislatures \u2014 have only ramped up their attacks on trans people, from passing anti-trans laws to threatening federal funding cuts to private institutions like hospitals that do not comply with\u00a0 Trump\u2019s anti-trans directives. In addition to these legislative and policy-based attacks, the trans community is reeling from a recent upswing in violent killings this spring, as at least seven trans people<\/a> were killed in March, April, and May alone, including Eryka Caldwell<\/a>, a trans woman fatally stabbed in her Bushwick, Brooklyn apartment on May 17.<\/p>\n While New York City has some of the most robust protections for trans people in the country, trans New Yorkers have still felt the reverberations. In February 2026, hospital giant NYU Langone Health<\/a> announced it would shutter its program providing gender-affirming care to minors, citing the \u201ccurrent regulatory environment.\u201d The hospital system was also criminally subpoenaed<\/a> by the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office in the North District of Texas, calling for the names of trans minors who had received gender-affirming care from NYU Langone between 2020 and 2026. Advocates and allies have urged Langone not to comply<\/a> with the subpoena.<\/p>\n Courtesy of NYC<\/p>\n Reported gender discrimination rates have reached a five-year high, according to the Mayor’s office, accounting for nearly 20% of the claims\u00a0filed with\u00a0the New York City Commission on Human Rights. The new campaign is geared towards showing trans and gender non-conforming New Yorkers that, even under the current presidential administration, they are entitled to legal protections in New York City.<\/p>\n \u201cAttacks on transgender and gender nonconforming New Yorkers coming from the federal government do not stop at the federal level \u2013 they can shape how people are treated in housing, work, and public spaces across our city,\u201d Christine Clarke, Commissioner and Chair of the New York City Commission on Human Rights, says. \u201cWhen New Yorkers are directly targeted, we have a responsibility to step in, and the Commission is responding by making protections clear and visible across all five boroughs.\u201d<\/p>\n Get the best of what\u2019s queer.\u00a0Sign up for\u00a0Them\u2019s weekly newsletter here.<\/a><\/p>\n Originally Appeared on them.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Mayor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c06953733670c51ba35f57806d62e277.jpeg\"\/)
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