Lucy Lang Releases Plan To Support & Build Trust With The Lgbtq+ Community

Lucy Lang Releases Plan To Support & Build Trust With The LGBTQ+ Community

As Manhattan District Attorney, Lang Will Ensure LGBTQ+ Community Is Included In Policy Decisions, Hiring, Training, & Outreach

Lang Pledges To Decline To Prosecute Sex Work Cases Between Consenting Adults, Which Have Disproportionately Targeted LGBTQ+ Community

December 1, 2020

Today, Manhattan District Attorney Candidate Lucy Lang released a comprehensive plan to support and enhance trust with the LGBTQ+ community. As Manhattan District Attorney, Lucy will work to ensure that the unique needs of this diverse community are met, their voices are heard, and that they are included in all policy decisions, hiring practices, training programs, and community outreach.

Lucy will treat hate crimes as hate crimes, ensure that crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals are taken seriously, and hold the police accountable to ensure that all members of LGBTQ+ community feel safe. As part of her plan, Lucy will create an expansive and inclusive LGBTQ+ Advisory Board, including internal personnel and community members, to further open channels of communication and ensure that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office will be responsive to the issues facing the LGBTQ+ community.

Lucy will advocate to decriminalize sex work and is pledging to decline to prosecute sex work cases involving private, consensual sex between adults, while continuing to prosecute trafficking cases and cases involving minors. She will also advocate for the repeal of the “Walking While Trans” Ban, a vaguely-worded law state law prohibiting “loitering for the purpose of engaging in a prostitution offense,” which regularly results in discrimination against transgender women – especially transgender women of color. Until the law is repealed, Lucy will decline to prosecute cases brought under this provision.

“New York City is home to more LGBTQ+ people than any other city in the country – they deserve a DA who is not only an ally, but a partner in ensuring that they enjoy the same level of freedom and protection as all New Yorkers,” said Manhattan District Attorney Candidate Lucy Lang. “While we’ve come a long way, the sad truth is that the LGBTQ+ community continues to be a target for hate crimes - particularly Black trans women who are disproportionately victims of violence and trauma. As District Attorney, I’m committed to treating hate crimes as hate crimes and ensuring that the unique voices and perspectives of the LGBTQ+ community will be reflected at all levels of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.”

As Manhattan District Attorney, Lucy will:

Work to build trust with the LGBTQ+ community. For a variety of reasons, many LGBTQ+ people feel more comfortable reporting crimes against them to community organizations, rather than law enforcement. Many members of the LGBTQ+ community find interactions with law enforcement at all levels dehumanizing and don’t even feel safe serving jury duty. With the input of LGBTQ+ community organizations, Lucy will train all office staff to be sensitive to and respectful of the experiences and concerns of LGBTQ+ community members, so that LGBTQ+ crime victims can feel comfortable reporting crimes, and LGBTQ+ community members, including witnesses and prospective jurors, can feel comfortable interacting with the District Attorney’s Office. This training will incorporate first-hand experiences of LGBTQ+ community members harmed by the system.
Hold the police accountable. Like all New Yorkers, members of the LGBTQ+ community deserve to feel safe at home and in the streets. Police harassment undermines safety and is not acceptable. Lucy will take allegations of police misconduct seriously, will investigate them and will be accountable to the public she serves. You can learn more about Lucy’s plan for police accountability here.
Take crimes against members of the LGBTQ+ community seriously. Crimes against the LGBTQ+ community are common. For example, 2020 has been the deadliest year on record for the transgender community. Lucy will work with local community organizations to better understand and appropriately address crimes against the LGBTQ+ community. She will treat hate crimes as hate crimes.
Advocate for the repeal of the “Walking While Trans” ban and decline to prosecute cases brought under the provision. Lucy will advocate to eliminate the vaguely worded law that criminalizes “loitering for the purpose of engaging in a prostitution offense,” which regularly results in discrimination against LGBTQ+ New Yorkers. Transgender people, particularly transgender women of color, are some of the most frequent targets of this criminal provision. These women are some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers, and instead of providing them the same freedoms and protections others enjoy, the current system targets them. Until the law is repealed, Lucy will decline to prosecute cases brought under the provision.
Decriminalize sex work and decline to prosecute sex work cases involving private, consensual sex between adults. The LGBTQ+ community is overrepresented in the sex work industry and is therefore overrepresented in the fallout from the criminalization of sex work. Studies have repeatedly shown that decriminalization of sex work leads to decreased violence and better health outcomes. Lucy opposes the criminalization of sex work, irrespective of the gender identity of the person engaging in the work, and will decline to prosecute sex work cases involving private, consensual sex between adults. Lucy will continue to prosecute trafficking cases and cases involving minors.
Be accessible and responsive. Lucy will create an expansive and inclusive LGBTQ Advisory Board, including internal personnel and community members, to further open channels of communication and make the office more responsive to the issues facing the LGBTQ+ community. Lucy will meet directly – often within the community – with the Advisory Board and other community members on a consistent basis. Lucy pledges to be accessible and responsive to the needs and concerns of the LGBTQ+ community.
Expand restorative justice. Lucy will enact measures that empower victims of hate crimes and encourage people who commit acts of hate to recognize and repair the harm that they have caused.