ALBANY — New York voters approved on Election Day a constitutional amendment billed as an expansion of civil rights protections but deemed by New York’s Catholic bishops as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Proposal 1, also called the “Equal Rights Amendment” to the state’s constitution, gained 4,294,254 votes (61.5 %) over the opposition’s 2,686,909 ballots (38.5%).
The measure amends Article 1, Section 11 of the New York Constitution by adding ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex as protected categories.
The state bishops issued a statement after the results were announced through The New York State Catholic Conference.
“We are disappointed in the decision of the voters to approve this deceptively worded state constitutional amendment, and we thank all who voted no,” the bishops said.
“The Catholic Bishops of New York State encourage legislators and state officials to focus on true support for women, children, and families rather than continuing to push abortion as the only option,” the statement continued. “If you are pregnant or a new parent and you need help, the Catholic Church is here for you. You are not alone.”
In a joint letter issued in September, the eight prelates, including Bishop Robert Brennan of the Diocese of Brooklyn, urged voters to “vote no” on the amendment.
They said the proposal’s wording may sound noble, but its “sweeping language” endangers the unborn by up-armoring abortion protection in the constitution. They also worried it could degrade parental rights.
That’s because the constitution’s anti-discrimination and equal protection provisions will now include sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive health care.
“It was a disappointment that Prop 1 passed,” Bishop Brennan said on Nov. 7. “It’s not a total surprise, but I think we had to give it our best effort. Where do we go from here? I think we have to watch it now and let it play out, and we have to be strong in exerting our constitutional rights, and living according to our conscience.”
In their Sept. 5 letter, the bishops warned that Prop 1 would “effectively, permanently legalize abortion without restriction, and up until the moment of birth in New York.”
They called the amendment “redundant” because New York has already “stripped away all abortion limitations.” However, they said the proposal would “render impossible any change to the law if the hearts and minds of New Yorkers were ever to shift toward protecting the child in the womb.”
Other groups, such as the Coalition to Protect Kids-NY (CTPK-NY), also opposed the measure. Before the election, its members called Prop 1 the “Parent Replacement Act,” claiming it could damage girls’ sports by allowing biological males to compete in girls’ athletic events.
They said this undermines fair competition and safety for female athletes,” a CTPK-NY fact sheet stated.
In the Catholic Conference’s statement issued Wednesday, Dennis Poust, executive director, further stated that Prop 1 “creates a fundamental right to abortion in the state Constitution.”
He said it could infringe on the religious liberty of institutions and individuals and threaten the right of parents to make medical and other decisions for their children who want to change genders.
Still, the bishops and the conference pledged not to lose hope.
“Despite this outcome,” according to the statement, “we will continue to fight the good fight for the protection of human rights, the dignity of the human person, the sacredness of all life, the rights of parents, and the preservation of religious liberty.”
