DiPietro Warns of Dangerous Deception Behind Prop 1

A Column From the Desk of Assemblyman David DiPietro (R,C-East Aurora)

Proposition 1 is being sold to New Yorkers as an Equal Rights Amendment—a seemingly innocent defense of abortion rights. But don’t be fooled. It’s a Trojan Horse designed to undermine fairness, parental authority, and possibly the integrity of our elections. This amendment would destroy the protections that ensure women’s sports are safe and fair, that female-only spaces are respected, and that parents retain the right to make critical decisions for their children. Prop 1 is an attack on our values and a dangerous overreach by politicians in Albany.

The amendment’s implications reach far beyond abortion, which is already allowed through the ninth month in New York. Prop 1 would constitutionalize a far more radical agenda. It would allow biological males to invade women’s sports, locker rooms and dormitories—wiping out the hard-fought victories women have achieved in the name of equality. This amendment isn’t about equal rights; it’s about rewriting the rules to serve an extreme political ideology that disregards the safety, dignity, and privacy of women.

Even more alarming is the attack on parental rights embedded in this amendment. Under Prop 1, minors would be able to undergo life-changing medical procedures—like hormone treatments or surgeries for gender transitions—without a parent’s knowledge or consent. Schools could actively conceal these life-altering decisions from parents, leaving them in the dark while their children are pushed toward irreversible changes. How is this even remotely acceptable in a civilized society? Parents, not bureaucrats or activists, should have the ultimate say in their children’s well-being.

It doesn’t end there. The broad language in Prop 1 opens the door for non-citizens to claim the same rights as New Yorkers. This could mean everything from public benefits to pushing for voting rights. By manipulating language like “national origin,” Albany elites are laying the groundwork for non-citizens to fight for access to the ballot box, which could tie up both state and local governments in costly litigation. This is not a hypothetical concern—it’s already happening. New York City attempted to let 800,000 non-citizens vote until a court struck it down.

Our constitution reserves the right to vote for U.S. citizens. It’s a fundamental principle of our democracy. If we allow non-citizens to vote, we undermine the very foundation of our electoral process. This isn’t just another policy dispute—it’s a deliberate attempt by Democrats to entrench their power by diluting the voices of New York citizens. It’s a cynical, undemocratic power grab that risks permanently distorting the balance of political power in New York.

We cannot afford to be naive. Prop 1 is not about expanding rights—it’s about stripping parents of their authority, eroding the privacy and fairness women deserve and allowing non-citizens to wield influence over our communities. It’s a radical re-imagining of our constitution that only serves the political class in Albany. This amendment must be stopped before it does irreparable harm to the state we call home.

Assemblyman David DiPietro represents the 147th Assembly District, which includes parts of Erie and Wyoming counties.