On Our Way!

It’s beautiful watching growth. Growing is a beautiful process in itself and the pain that can come along with leaving old things behind is very real. In the next twelve months, the Leah’s Place project should find its footing and begin serving mothers and children. We are now officially a fully incorporated 501c3 and are recognized as a full fledged legal entity. It’s an exciting time. It’s a time of great anticipation but also a time of trepidation. As a New York establishment, we are subject to laws put forth by New York State. At this time, our state is potentially facing a tremendous legal change. The 2024 Equal Rights Amendment Proposal or Prop 1 goes on the ballot November 5th. I’ve watched with real fear as the ballot measure was struck and then replaced, praying that it wouldn’t even be presented to the public. While I am glad that we New Yorkers get a say in this being adopted into law, my concern is that we are uninformed about this law and the provisions it makes. I urge people to READ it. Read it and consider. Consider a world where New Yorkers have reproductive autonomy regardless of their age. You are reading this correctly. New York wants to give children reproductive autonomy and freedom to make reproductive health choices. Children. In addition to this comes the freedom and right to gender expression. If someone expressing as a woman wants care from the Leah’s Place team, can we turn them down due to them being a natal male if this Amendment passes? We frankly don’t know. So we stand now on a precipice between life and death for the Leah’s Place organization and mission, wondering what we may have to leave behind as we move forward.