Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act
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The Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) is a New York law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, credit, and the exercise of civil rights.[1] Passed in 2002, SONDA added the term "sexual orientation" to the list of specifically protected characteristics in various state laws, including the Human Rights Law, the Civil Rights Law, and the Education Law.[1]
SONDA was first introduced in the New York State Assembly on February 16, 1971, by Assemblymember Al Blumenthal (D-Manhattan) and in the New York State Senate by Senator Manfred Ohrenstein (D-Manhattan), only to be defeated.[citation needed] The bill was reintroduced in the Assembly in 1983 but was again defeated by a narrow margin.[citation needed]
In 1990, Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan) became the first openly gay member of the Assembly. Glick made SONDA a top priority of her campaign. The legislation was first passed by the Assembly on February 1, 1993, by a vote of 90–50, with 81 Democrats and nine Republicans favoring the bill and 14 Democrats and 36 Republicans opposing it. It was stalled repeatedly in the Senate for the rest of the decade.[citation needed]
On January 28, 2002, the Assembly passed SONDA by a vote of 113–27.[2] On December 17, 2002, the Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 34 to 26; it was signed into law by Governor George Pataki the same day. SONDA went into effect on January 16, 2003.[3][4]