Credit: New York Equal Rights and Our City Action Buffalo

(NEW YORK) –  New Yorkers approved Proposition 1, an amendment to the New York State Constitution to protect equal rights, including reproductive rights, with 62% of the vote according to AP News.

Proposition 1 protects against discrimination based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy. A specific inclusion includes reproductive healthcare and autonomy as protected categories. The measure, which aimed to secure abortion and other healthcare protections in the state constitution, saw widespread support from advocacy groups such as Planned Parenthood. 

The passage was called a “critical victory” for reproductive rights across the nation by two Planned Parenthood organizations. As concerns about reproductive rights rise, activists from organizations like the New York City for Abortion Rights argue that embedding these protections in the constitution would provide stronger safeguards against potential future restrictions. 

Days leading up to the election, 60% of voters supported the measure, according to a poll by Siena College Research Institute. 

Despite the majority support, Proposition 1 faced significant opposition from conservative groups with 40% of early voters opposing the amendment and $8 million in funding against it from mega-donors, according to the New York Times. 

In a video on social media, Liz Joy, a Republican and former candidate for New York’s 20th Congressional District, argued that the amendment could indirectly impact parental rights by allowing minors to seek certain medical treatments, including gender-related care, without parental consent. She also argued that this could lead to schools facilitating treatments without informing parents, framing the measure as a possible infringement on parental authority in healthcare. 

Also hailing the passage were a number of advocacy groups like New Yorkers for Equal Rights and Our City Action Buffalo which launched a joint campaign to inform the public about Proposition 1 through social media, door-to-door canvassing and in-person events in advance of Election Day are now celebrating the passage of Proposition 1. 

“Abortion is health care, healthcare is a human right – and that right is finally enshrined in the New York Constitution,” NY Governor Kathy Hochul wrote on social media.