The League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island, and the North Fork will lead an educational program highlighting a new equal rights amendment to the New York State Constitution on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. at LTV Studios in Wainscott. The amendment will appear on the ballot in November.
The program is free, but those interested in attending have been asked to register in advance at ltveh.org.
The purpose of the amendment is to ensure against discrimination based on a person’s race, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed, religion, or sex, including sexual orientation, pregnancy, and reproductive health care. The State Legislature has already passed the amendment, but it must be approved by voters via a November ballot measure in order to become law.
The league’s program coincides with the start of Women’s History Month. Following welcoming remarks and short opening films, a panel discussion called “The Other November Decision: New York State and the Equal Rights Amendment” happens at 2 p.m. and will feature former Representative Carolyn Maloney of New York, South Carolina State Senator Sandy Senn, who received a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for her stand on abortion, and Laura Harding Esq., president of ERASE Racism of Long Island. Andrea Gabor, a league board member and Bloomberg professor of business journalism at Baruch College, will moderate.
The program will include an LTV Women’s History Month art show in the halls of the studio; brief talks by Minerva Perez, executive director of OLA of Eastern Long Island, Rainbow Chavis of the Shinnecock Nation, and Marissa Velasquez-Rosante, a young community leader from Hampton Bays; a spoken-word performance by Kate Mueth, founder and artistic director of the Neo-Political Cowgirls, and live music by the HooDoo Loungers.
Complimentary wine from Channing Daughters and Suhru Wines will be offered, and food and beverages from Insatiable Eats will be available to buy.
“In celebration of Women’s History Month, we encourage you to attend this local community event that not only includes music and entertainment but most importantly provides voters an opportunity to ask questions after listening to panel discussions and local leaders speak about the protections” offered by the amendment “in order to make an informed decision this November,” Valerie Levenstein of the league said in a statement.
