Legislation

Constitutional amendment would enshrine gender identity rights

Also would give “equal treatment and respect under the law” regardless of national origin

by Guy Page 

A proposed constitutional amendment introduced on the last day of the 2023 session of the Vermont Legislature would guarantee “equal treatment and respect under the law” on account of race, ethnicity, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or national origin.

The proposed constitutional amendment is sponsored by:

Sen. Virginia Lyons

Sen. Nader Hashim

Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale

Sen. Philip Baruth

Sen. Christopher Bray

Sen. Brian Campion

Sen. Thomas Chittenden

Sen. Alison Clarkson

Sen. Ann Cummings

Sen. Martine Gulick

Sen. Ruth Hardy

Sen. Wendy Harrison

Sen. M. Jane Kitchel

Sen. Mark MacDonald

Sen. Richard McCormack

Sen. Andrew Perchlik

Sen. Richard Sears

Sen. Robert Starr

Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky

Sen. Anne Watson

Sen. Richard Westman

Sen. Rebecca White, and

Sen. Irene Wrenner.

Westman, of Lamoille County, is the only Republican co-sponsor. PR.4 was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

As published in the May 12 Senate Journal, PR.4 reads:

“This proposal would amend the Constitution of the State of Vermont to specify that the government must not deny equal treatment and respect under the law on account of a person’s race, ethnicity, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or national origin.”

 “Providing for equality of rights as a fundamental principle in the Constitution would serve as a foundation for protecting the rights and dignity of historically marginalized populations and addressing existing inequalities,” the proposal reads. “This amendment would reassert the broad principles of personal liberty and equality reflected in the Constitution of the State of Vermont with authoritative force, longevity, and symbolic importance.”

PR.4 could become part of the Constitution as soon as November, 2026, if ratified by this Legislature and the next (2025-26) Legislature and then by voters in November, 2026.

Categories: Legislation

19 replies »

  1. Can I just have equality in voting rights? I mean is that too much to ask?

    Further down this path of demoralization:

  2. These are the Useful idiots we have been warned about,
    Everyone should take Yuri Bezmenov’s warning seriously.

  3. Recently, I heard Mr. Benzenov speak during one interview he did in the mid 80s. He definitively stated that Social Justice as an outcome is communism. One 2006 United Nations document titled social Justice in an Open World, states that “capitalist systems ‘deify” production and consumption at the experience of long term growth” of achieving Social Justice.

    Quite 2, “Social Justice requires strong redistribution policies.” The redistribution tool is Equity. Equity by definition is to create more equal outcomes: financial and institutional, aka Socialism.

    Quote 3, Societies and political regimes have not achieved and maintained balance between individual freedom and Social Justice.

  4. With a suicide rate 42X the general population, this will be a self-correcting anomaly. Gives me an idea. Anyway to convince these senators they are latent, transsexuals?

      • Really “ugly” to YOU. And why? You either loathe freedom of speech (obviously apparent) or you don’t REALLY believe that transsexualism is something to be worthy of public adoration.

    • They don’t necessarily believe what they state.

  5. So the commies want to make it right to be a nut case, hell bent on destroying the rights of normal people. What is about this nonsense that attracts these people in the legislature? Are they all homo’s in hiding?

  6. If “Same Sex Attracted,” is a gender identity… then “Minor Attracted Person,” is a gender identity. If not, we’re just back to good old fashioned men & women, and this amendment is pointless. Unless, of course, you want to make it unconstitutional for the state to do things like keep pedos away from your kids.

    Now who would want to do a thing like that? 🤔

  7. I support this but I disagree with this in our treatment of minor children. A minor trans male would be able to obtain an abortion without parental notification, just as for a cis gender female. No questions allowed to be asked, just like now? There could be abuse resulting in the pregnancy. Also I’m worried trans people who may want to de-transition in the future would not be able to sue medical professionals who they feel took advantage of them as minors. If legislators put that feature into law it’s only to protect doctors and save the State money.

    • Sadly, the legislature has already protected the providers so no lawsuits in VT when it comes to gender affirming care or reproductive care (abortion).

  8. Birth Certificate = Gender Affirmation

    Stop wasting time, money and tax dollars on this. How grand to argue over all this next year with the fleecing of constituents for your pocket lining raises!

  9. Gender expression could be wildly inappropriate without clarification. Perverts of all sickness and sexual deviants including pedophiles will likely start to claim Sexual orientation as a defense for their crimes without specifying “legal” in the amendment.