New Yorkers Fought for and WON Equal Rights

In the weeks since Election Day, there’s been a lot of despair, confusion, and regret. But one bright spot among the pain and fear that so many are feeling has been how many states voted in support of reproductive freedom.

What is Prop 1? 
Prop 1, previously known as the New York Equal Rights Amendment (NY ERA), was a ballot measure that New Yorkers voted for overwhelmingly on November 5th. The NY ERA promised to be the most comprehensive state Equal Rights Amendment in the country, ensuring that New Yorkers are constitutionally protected from discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, origin, age, disability, and sex — including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes (race and religion were previously the only two protected classes under the New York state constitution).

The amendment had to pass in the New York state legislature twice before New Yorkers got to have a say. It did, thanks to tireless advocates who knew how important abortion protection measures are.

Why is it important? 
While Prop 1 is necessary for many reasons, New Yorkers jumped at the chance to enshrine protections for abortion access in the state constitution. As abortion bans continue to devastate the country, New York continues to be a safe haven for those traveling to access reproductive healthcare. This is a major step to secure the right to abortion access.

How did we help?  
This past spring, the RAC and WRJ convened a steering committee of New York lay leaders to launch a campaign for the New York Equal Rights Amendment. Together, the steering committee created a variety of materials, including slideshows and program scripts, to educate Reform Jews in New York about the proposition.  

In 2021, two popular voting rights-related ballot measures failed simply because New Yorkers were unaware that they existed. In a year when education was key, focusing both on the substantive issues contained in Prop 1 and reminding New Yorkers to flip their ballots to find the initiative were important and successful messages from our steering committee.

The Numbers

On election night, we learned that over 60% of New Yorkers had flipped their ballots and voted yes on Prop 1. After a hard-fought campaign for reproductive rights across the country, and a night with some tough losses, it was a silver lining to know that abortion access will be constitutionally protected in New York state.

While this is a huge step, it’s not the end of advocacy for reproductive rights in New York. There will certainly be more challenges ahead, and New Yorkers will be ready to meet them.

We hope that those of you who contributed to this win, as well as those who contributed to other reproductive freedom campaigns across the country, will join WRJ in D.C. from April 4-7, 2025, at the Rabbi Marla J. Feldman Social Justice Conference. Carry that momentum forward to gather with like-minded women+ who are equal in their dedication to advancing our Reform Jewish values through an important gendered lens and will lend a new spark to the biggest issues of our time, like reproductive rights and abortion access.