Right now, in New York City, people are afraid. A tenant in Queens is being denied housing because of her race. A transgender woman in Brooklyn is being misgendered and harassed. A young person in Manhattan whose immigration status is uncertain is too afraid to speak up after being mistreated at work.
They are not alone – and they have protections. But when fear keeps people from reporting discrimination, the promise of civil rights fades away.
As the Chair and Commissioner of the New York City Commission on Human Rights, I am proud to lead the agency responsible for enforcing one of the strongest civil rights laws in the country. The New York City Human Rights Law protects against discrimination across more than 25 categories, including race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and more. Our mandate is to ensure that every New Yorker can live, work, and thrive with dignity. But we cannot enforce the law if New Yorkers are too afraid to come to us.
Across the city, we’re seeing a troubling rise in fear and uncertainty, especially among communities that have long faced discrimination. When people worry that speaking up might put them or their families at risk, they may choose to stay silent, even when they are protected under the law. This fear doesn’t just impact individual New Yorkers; it weakens our collective ability to uphold civil rights protections and ensure equal treatment for all.
Even as federal protections are being rolled back, New York City’s local protections remain strong – and they matter now more than ever.
In fact, earlier this year, our Commission expanded legal protections to prohibit housing
discrimination based on arrest records, criminal convictions, or other criminal history. We also added two new protected categories under the Human Rights Law – height and weight – recognizing no one should be treated unfairly because of their body size. These updates reflect our ongoing commitment to making the law more inclusive and reflective of a diverse city.
My staff works every day to make sure that the law does not only exist on paper, but in practice. If a tenant is denied housing because they are using a housing voucher, or an employee is passed over for a promotion due to their gender identity – we step in. We are here to guide individuals through the complaint process, connect them to legal resources, and hold bad actors accountable.
This work can take time, but it delivers real results. For example, after seven years of hard work, we secured one of the largest civil rights settlements in New York City history: 850 apartment units set aside for housing voucher holders and $1 million in civil penalties on a local management company.
But, we cannot – and do not – wait for harm to occur. We also work to prevent it. Through public education campaigns, legal trainings, and mobile clinics in all five boroughs, we ensure that New Yorkers know their rights and obligations.
New York City is here to help you. Our Human Rights Law has not changed, and neither has our commitment to enforcing it.
We know this is a time of fear and uncertainty. But we also know that New Yorkers are stronger than anyone. Whether you’re facing discrimination, harassment, or bias, you have rights. And you have someone to call.
New York City does not back down from a tough fight. We lead the way and will continue to defend justice and equality for all.
