New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new policy that will house male transgender criminals in jails that align with the gender they claim to be. That means violent male criminals will now be housed with vulnerable women in NYC jails.
All a male criminal has to say be be housed with women is he has a “female gender identity.”
The mayor’s office released a statement saying the safety of the men takes priority over women’s safety.
De Blasio previously allowed transgender access to women’s bathrooms in all city government buildings.
“It’s the city’s responsibility to protect the rights and safety of all New Yorkers, and that means protecting transgender individuals in city jails as well,” said a statement from Mayor Bill de Blasio. “New York City is one of the first major cities to commit to taking this step, and it’s crucial to ensuring all our facilities are welcoming and safe for all New Yorkers, no matter their gender identity.”
The Mayor’s wife – a reformed lesbian herself – applauded the new policy:
“With today’s announcement, New York City takes another important step to protect the rights, dignity and safety of transgender and gender non-conforming people, and it is our hope that cities across the country will follow our lead,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “Keeping transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers safe, wherever they are, is the City’s responsibility – whether they are in city custody or walking through their own neighborhoods.”
The mayor’s statement says women will be forced to live with men – unless the men voice their preference to be housed in an already existing jail for transgenders.
The statement did not say how city officials would protect the sexual privacy of the jailed women. The mayor’s statement included a quote from a group that once advocated for the rights of lesbians:
“This policy is a big step forward for New York City,” said Lambda Legal CEO Rachel B. Tiven. “Going to jail is scary enough – and for transgender women incarcerated in men’s facilities around the country, it can be horrific.”
New York City joins San Francisco among the U.S. cities that house criminal males with defenseless women in city jails.
In Europe, a male inmate who claimed to be transgender was quickly transferred out of a women’s prison after he sexually harassed the female inmates.
