Brian Hubert reports for the Daily Freeman that supporters of proposed legislation to add gender expression as a protected class to Ulster County’s Human Rights Law turned out for a public hearing June 13. They rallied outside the Ulster County Office Building and packed the hearing at the evening’s Ulster County Legislature meeting. The “Drag is Not a Crime Act” would add protections for gender expression to Ulster County’s 2018 Human Rights Protection Act, which already covers race, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, gender which included gender identity, gender dysphoria, and transgender status, as well as group identity, marital status and disability. Peter Criswell introduced the legislation, and said, “Gender identity is how someone identifies internally and gender expression is how you express it outside in the world.... With all the anti-drag legislation that’s being passed all around the country, we had protections to be able to express themselves in any way they want to.” Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger said, “We’re seeing incredible discriminatory, cruel laws passed across the country and while in New York I don’t think we’re in danger of seeing those kinds of laws anytime soon, the hate is still there, and it affects people’s lives daily. No one should have to live in fear for being who they are, and expressing who they are.” Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.