Healthcare professionals across the country, from nurses, doctors, EMTs, public health officials to other staff critical to hospital operations are on the frontline against COVID-19. We support soldiers for putting themselves in danger, and should now do the same for those fighting this battle. Please support our nurses and sign this petition to tell lawmakers that our troops need the following: 1) Protective gear and operations planning to mitigate exposure 2) Hazard pay 3) Mobilize a reserve of students and retired healthcare professionals *** If you are able, please consider donating to your local food bank, homeless shelter and/or local caregiver organizations. *** #hazardpayfornurses #COVIDfrontline #COVID19 #healthcare #hospitals #crushCOVID #flattenthecurve

Twelve states have moved to ban "ex-gay therapy" for young people -- dangerous "therapy" that tries to change someone's sexual orientation. "Ex-gay therapy" has been linked to suicide, depression, isolation and anxiety, and has been condemned by nearly every medical and psychological body as dangerous, destructive and something no child should be forced to undergo. And yet in 38 states -- including states like New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Ohio -- "ex-gay therapy" remains a practice that's largely legal under the law. But there is national momentum as more and more states move to ban "ex-gay therapy" and protect minors from attempts to "cure" them of their sexual orientation. Hawaii just became the 12th state to ban "ex-gay therapy," and New Hampshire and Delaware are close to following suit. They join states like California, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, New Mexico, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Oregon. That's nearly 25% of the country! But it's not enough. LGBT kids are still facing dangerous "ex-gay therapy" attempts in more than 30 states around the country.  All these states have seen bills introduced to ban "ex-gay therapy". New York -- which touts itself as one of the most LGBT-friendly states in the country -- has seen legislation pass the State Assembly three times; Pennsylvania has had a bill introduced several times; Ohio now has a bill as well that legislators are pushing; and activists in Minnesota have been pushing for a ban on "ex-gay therapy" programs for years. Let's build on this national organizing momentum, and work to get these states added to the list of states stepping up to protect LGBT youth, and banning harmful "ex-gay therapy" that tries to "cure" LGBT people and change their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Names have meaning and the names given to public property have significance in how we choose to reflect the character and values of who we are as a nation and people.  This is a proposition to change the name of Donald J. Trump Park to Sojourner Truth Park.  The 465 acre parcel of land is located on the eastern bounds of the Taconic State Parkway spanning Westchester and Putnam Counties.  There have been three previous attempts to rename the 465 acre parcel currently bearing the name Donald J. Trump Park.  Public record will show that Trump and his associated development company paid $2 million for this property. After being unable to develop the property, the land was donated to the State of New York which he and his firm used as a tax write-off.  This was not a charitable gift derived out of generosity but an equitable exchange of real property for a financial incentive. Several previous proposed names have all been admirable choices but perhaps have not met the benchmark through which most public lands have been rededicated in our State, to honor individuals rather than perhaps individuals who have donated land. The naming of a park should be that of a historic New Yorker who has made an outstanding contribution to the history and development of our state and one who evokes the values of patriotism, inclusiveness and equity under the law.  There are few individuals who embodied the spirit and diversity of New York like Sojourner Truth. It seems only fitting that a park stripped of the name of a man who incited insurrection should be replaced with that of a woman who fought against and helped defeat insurrectionists.  Sojourner Truth was born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree near Kingston, NY in 1797.  She was sold at least twice during her early life and was not freed until mandated under State Law in 1827.  Truth successfully sued for the return and freedom of her son from the State of Alabama in 1828.  As a free person she became active both within her church as well as the abolition and suffrage movements.  She gained national notoriety for her speech “Ain’t I a Woman” and would actively participate in the causes of emancipation, enfranchisement and equal protection under the law.  Her ardent activism to help her neighbors and fellow Americans was tirelessly carried out all the while supporting and raising a family on her own.  Truth passed away at Battle Creek, Michigan in 1883.  Shortly after her death Frederick Douglass said she was “Venerable for age, distinguished for insight into human nature, remarkable for independence and courageous self-assertion, devoted to the welfare of her race, she has been for the last forty years an object of respect and admiration to social reformers everywhere."

Judge Sheila-Abdus Salaam was the first black female judge in appeals court in the United States ever, who was found floating in a river in Manhattan around April 2017. She was the first African-American woman appointed to the court of appeals, the highest position you could have. This was huge, and she’s now dead. Surely this shouldn’t sit right with anybody. Not only was her death publicised as a suicide despite countless evidence to the contrary including signs of struggle on her neck, but this case has stayed quiet for 3 entire years as of now with no sort of proper investigation? The fact I only came across Judge Sheila-Abdus Salaam’s case yesterday should speak for itself. Black people deserve so much better their lives are important and matter and their voices can change the world we live in for the better! With particular reference to the fact this happened in New York, the fact she was married to a Muslim husband and therefore had a Muslim surname is important contextually when understanding the case and why this happened to her. New York is one of the cities with the highest anti-terrorism surveillance systems put in place, and where Judge Abdus-Salaam had a Muslim surname, this immediately would unfortunately make her a target for hate crimes and racist violence. We can’t just let her be another name in the long list of victims. Each black life matters just as much as the other, and despite her being a particularly extraordinary person, every black life matters regardless of their accomplishments. People need to understand this so we can start to head towards a brighter future for all people of all races. I’m sick and tired of seeing more and more cases where there has been clear systemic racism at play in which black women and men alike have been victims of the institutional hate towards black people simply for the colour of their skin. It has been clear for a long time now that white people and other non-black people of colour have felt intimidated and angered by the power black people could potentially have in our large institutions and companies where they can make revolutionary changes for a better world. She simply wanted to thrive in a foundation that created a fairer and more just New York for people of all backgrounds, for there to be no bias in trials based off religion and race etc. We can’t let this go. It’s been 3 years and her and her family haven’t received the closure they deserve and are rightfully owed. Please sign this petition so we can hopefully get the New York Police Department to reopen her case !!! Thank you 

Mayor Bill DeBlasio is destroying New York City. We cannot have him continue as mayor for the next two years. The people of NY want change, and now is the time to act before it becomes any worse. This is not about being conservative, left, etc. This is about “radical” politics that are harming the city and being neglectful of New Yorkers. Below are some of the issues with Mayor Deblasio: 1) Bill does not care what New Yorkers think, want, or need. “The issue is people don’t like him, and he doesn’t care,” said Rebecca Katz, a former longtime de Blasio adviser and founder of consulting firm New Deal Strategies. 2) The mayor plans to run for President in 2020. He has been absent and neglectful of NY, especially in times of need. (Ex: summer blackout of 2019) How can Bill abandon NY anymore than he already has to go on a campaign tour, especially when he has no chance of winning?!  3) The mayor has made more horrendous choices than past infamous Mayors like Lindsay and Dinkins.  4) The mayor avoided acknowledgment of the  Puerto Rican Day Parade and veterans’ D-Day ceremonies. He also “forgot” to attend a 9/11 memorial event for victims.  5) The mayor is anti-police. However, he has no issue with gathering a squad of officers to guard him as he works out at a gym in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Yeah, that’s what he’s doing instead of being a mayor. Summer 2019 has proved that people feel protected when they want to assault and mistreat the NYPD. He has allowed criminals to gain ridiculous protection. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-de-blasio-rudy-giuliani-hooligans-nypd-water-20190723-2ehxmsay2ngsnjxudth5gedrui-story.html%3foutputType=amp 6) Crime is low? HA! It might appear that way because police cannot do their job. He ended Stop and Frisk. Officers do not receive any support when it comes to arrests and investigations. Their lives are in danger even more so now that they do not have the city’s support. He has passed laws for so-called minor offenses to be ignored. (Like urinating in the street). Critics charge that the shift will undermine the “broken windows” theory of policing that began in the city in the 1990s. Ignoring these so-called minor crimes have and will continue to lead to bigger offenses. 7) DOE. The mayor does not support schools and teachers. Instead he has appointed a chancellor who is a racist and failed superintendent of Texas schools. Together, they are implementing one of the worse discipline codes to protect unruly students. Like crime, it’s a way to limit consequences so they can say, “Hey, look at how bad behavior has decreased in schools!” Educators are limited in what they can do with poor behavior. His appointment of Chancellor Carranza is to support his diversity narrative so he can say “Look what I’ve done! Vote for me in 2020!” 8) The MTA continues to increase their rates, but the the conditions of trains and stations are unsanitary, unsafe, and unstable. 9) The mayor is a socialist. Mr. de Blasio announced a plan to spend $100 million to ensure that undocumented immigrants and others who cannot qualify for insurance can receive medical treatment. Interesting. Tell the hardworking US citizen mother who struggles to provide for her child that one! Tell the increase of homeless people that you will support “illegal immigrants” over their needs this one. Is that why he refuses to work with the federal government when it comes to immigration issues? Again, he only supports people who will fit his broken diversity narrative.  10) Increase in parking meter rates. The new system consists of six tiers of hourly parking prices, ranging from $1.25 in some neighborhood shopping districts to $7.50  11) Park Slope residences and workers are experiencing an extreme difficulty parking, and this issue will continue to spread across the city. He is eliminating parking spots for bikers and car shares.  12) Increase in property taxes. For decades, tax laws have prevented assessments from rising more than 6% a year, even though property values in certain areas—such as de Blasio's home neighborhood of Park Slope—have increased far more. Advocates argue this has forced a disproportionate burden on rental buildings, commercial properties and houses in outer-ring neighborhoods which are more likely to belong to minority homeowners. He believes that we cannot reduce taxes because that will take away from the city’s services. What?! Everything has become run down, and New Yorkers are fleeing from neighborhoods they have grown up in for years because they cannot afford it. Instead many illegals are buying single or two family homes, and allowing anywhere from 3 to 5 families to reside to support their taxes and mortgages. Obviously, most Americans refuse to live this way. Rent is at an all time high because landlords have ridiculous taxes to pay. 13) The mayor’s wife, Chirlane McCray, “lost” over $1.8 billion taxpayers money. Some say it was “wasted” on organizations or laws that never proved to be anything other than their name slapped on it. These are just SOME of the issues with the mayor. Sign this petition to say Impeach Mayor de Blasio! We want our New York back to being safer, supported, and loved!

As initially reported in Buzzfeed, Fortune, and the New York Times editorial board, New York State Senator Brad Hoylman (D. 27th District) has introduced a bill that can fix some of the damage done by the 2016 election. This bill deserves and needs popular support. The T.R.U.M.P. (Tax Returns Uniformly Made Public) Act, "would force candidates for president to release five years of tax returns to the New York State board of elections no later than 50 days before the general election, which would in turn redact personal information and make the returns public. Failure to comply with the legislation should it become law would prohibit the state’s electors from voting for that candidate and the candidate’s name would not appear on the New York state ballot."  As Hoylman states, Trump's refusal to disclose his returns have denied voters "an important perspective on the candidate’s potential conflicts of interests as well as their financial well-being and how much he gave to charity.”  With Russian interference in the 2016 election now an established fact, it is essential that Trump's tax returns be released. This bill will be a crucial lever in forcing that release. It could moreover could prove instrumental in restricting the reach of the incoming Trump administration. Since the Republican administration and congress would be unlikely to act on this, this becomes a matter for the states. And thus New York, with its 31 electoral votes, can make a significant national impact with this legislation. Please sign and share. Senator Hoylman is following our petition's progress with interest. Since the bill was first announced there have been similar bills introduced in California, Massachusetts, and Maine. There is a chance to make a real difference here. Your support matters!

Hello my name is Emerald Snipes Garner, the youngest daughter of Eric Garner. My father was killed by former NYPD police officer Daniel Pantaleo because of the use of an illegal chokehold that caused my dad to have a fatal asthma attack.  My father yelled “I can’t breathe!” 11 times while he was being choked to death by Officer Pantaleo, and despite his pleas, Officer Pantaleo continued to use this illegal maneuver.  No police officer should be allowed to use a chokehold that can easily kill unarmed civilians. That’s why my family and I are asking for your support to help pass the Eric Garner Law, legislation that would place a federal ban on police using this dangerous chokehold that killed my father.  My family and I stood by for 5 years waiting for a decision from the Department of Justice after my father died as to whether the police officer who killed my father should face charges. They asked us to let them “Investigate” the murder of my father. And they FAILED us in every way. But I know that power rests with people. I started a petition this past summer demanding that the police officer who killed my dad be fired, and just 30 days after my petition was published it had over 144,000 signatures, and my viral video was viewed over 10,000 times across all social media and news outlets. Because of your support, we can now say that Daniel Pantaleo, the man who choked my father to death, is now a former NYPD officer. HE IS FIRED! I truly believe that our efforts were not ignored, and our rally cries were heard by the world. And I hope we can do the same to drive support of the Eric Garner Law.  The hope is that the Eric Garner Law will make officers understand they cannot just kill us and walk free. It would mean that any officer who uses a chokehold on an unarmed civilian would be prosecuted across the country.  My sister Erica Snipes Garner died before she could see justice for our father, and I refuse to leave this Earth until I see justice for my dad and all others who were murdered at the hands of the murdering Police Officers who took an oath to protect and serve the communities. That’s why me and my family are so committed to seeing this law pass, and why I need your support as this law makes its way through the Senate with the support of Senator Gillibrand. While Officer Pantaleo is no longer patrolling the streets, real structural change will only happen if police departments around the country are required to ban the type of dangerous chokeholds that took my father’s life. We need justice now. We demand justice right now! Please sign this petition to support the Federal Eric Garner Law in the U.S. Senate.  ***************************** For updates on this campaign, you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram: emerald_snipes (EMMIE). Please donate to our GoFundMe to support the "WeCantBreathe" movement: Click Here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/fighting-for-justice-for-eric-garner

Sign this petition to demand that the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly pass the African African History and Achievement Bill aka Black History Education Bill right away. (S8089 / A10358)   *Let your Senator and Assembly Member know that you support the bill: Senate: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S8089 Assembly: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/a10358   This bill will help bring about the empowerment of our children and our communities. It will provide the opportunity for the children to realize the greatness of their history and to teach them that their existence did not start and will not stop with slavery.  Community Advocate / President of Black Lives Matter Brooklyn, ANTHONY BECKFORD is taking lead on this, because he strongly believes in the greatness of Black Culture and he believes that our children need to identify with that. History books teach our children the lie, that their history starts from bondage, which then conditions them to accept the continuous oppression and bondage. We will put a full stop to that. We must teach them where they came from, for them to know who they are, so that they can plan for their future.  "The Black History Education Bill would have a huge impact on our youth. The bill would include the indigenous history of Afro Americans, Afro Caribbeans, Afro Latinos and the African Diaspora as a whole. This taps into the true indigenous history of many other ethnicities. We must teach our children where they come from, so that they can embrace who they are and plan to be who they are destined to be." The purpose of the bill, is to create a mandatory year round curriculum of Black History. The purpose of this bill is to highlight and acknowledge the inventions by Black inventors, anti- slavery movements, Black heroes and leaders and so much more.  The commission shall be tasked with developing and recommending curriculum that incorporates the contributions and achievements made by African Americans as part of New York's education curriculum, including but not limited to the women's abolitionist movement, the Harlem Renaissance, the Buffalo anti-slavery movement, and the suffrage movement for African American Long Islanders and much more. #ItsOurTime

The death of Thomas Valva is due to the negligence of the system that was put in place to protect children. Child Protective services was notified by multiple sources including the schools, doctors and neighbors, several times throughout the years to no avail.  The workers handling the case and the agency within itself should all be held accountable. I believe the people that were in direct contact with the case  should be fired, loss of any fringe benefits and criminal charges for their neglect should be filed. The community is outraged and appalled. Far too many stories are being shared concerning suffolk countys child protective services neglecting to thoroughly investigate reports. This is a horrific example and should be the last of its kind.

New York State Against the 9/27 Mandate!!! United we stand!  We need EVERYONE whether you are vaccinated or unvaccinated to stand up. Everyone that is against this mandate, ALL New York State employees, officers, teachers, sanitation etc. We are asking that you sign this petition.  We are not anti-vaccine but we are anti-mandate. *We should have the right to choose what goes in our bodies. *We should have the right to make our own medical decisions. We cannot be afraid, this should be a CHOICE not a mandate.  We live in a country where freedom is supposed to exist. We must stand up for our freedoms before we are stripped of more and more. What will be next? *States are starting to ban mandates because WE THE PEOPLE are speaking out. Let’s stand TOGETHER let’s come TOGETHER New York ❤️