New York bishops: State ‘equal rights amendment’ is ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’

CNA Staff, Sep 9, 2024 / 12:28 pm

Catholic bishops in New York state are warning ahead of the November election that an “equal rights amendment” proposal on the ballot this year could have “dangerous consequences” if it is approved by voters. 

The state constitutional amendment would establish broad rights to “reproductive health care” by prohibiting any discrimination based on “pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive health care and autonomy.”

It would also prohibit discrimination based on a person’s sex, sexual orientation, “gender identity,” and “gender expression.”

In a statement from the New York State Catholic Conference last week, the New York bishops — including New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan as well as the state’s auxiliary and emeritus bishops — argued that the proposal was “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” The statement was emailed to 35,000 mailing list subscribers and sent to parishes and diocesan media outlets for distribution.

The title of “equal rights amendment,” the bishops argued, “suggests a noble cause, as all children of God should be treated equally under the law.” 

“However, this proposed amendment to the state constitution is broadly written and could have dangerous consequences if enacted, which is why we oppose it and urge you to vote no,” the prelates said.  

The bishops noted that the amendment would effectively “permanently legalize abortion without restriction and up until the moment of birth in New York.” 

The state has already “stripped away all abortion limitations,” they pointed out, but the proposed amendment “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.”

Furthermore, the amendment would forbid discrimination based on “age,” which the bishops said “could also lead to parents’ rights being stripped away.” 

“Courts could decide that parents have no authority over their minor children on important matters and permit children to make destructive and permanent decisions on their own, which they could well live to regret, including but not limited to so-called ‘gender affirming’ treatments and surgeries,” they said. 

The bishops said the measure “could lead to darkness for many New York families.” 

Catholics in the state “should consider these consequences and vote no” on the proposal, they said. 

A court in the state had earlier this year blocked the amendment from appearing on the November ballot after a judge ruled that lawmakers did not follow proper procedures for putting it before voters. 

An appeals court subsequently ruled that the measure could appear on the ballot, arguing that the statute of limitations to challenge the measure had passed.

New York is one of about a dozen states considering pro-abortion measures in the 2024 election.