New York governor invites minorities to consider the state a refuge from Trump
New York governor Andrew Cuomo has invited Trump opponents to consider his state as their refuge in light of the election results.
In a letter emailed to members of the New York State Democratic Committee, Cuomo reached out to those who oppose Trump to stand against the federal government in light of laws that may be repealed.
The open, compassionate letter which reaches out to minority communities was later posted to his Facebook page.
He wrote: “The state of New York has a proud legacy as the progressive capital of the nation, and that is more important today than ever before.
“As New Yorkers, we have fundamentally different philosophies than what Donald Trump laid out in his campaign. So let me be absolutely clear: If anyone feels that they are under attack, I want them to know that the state of New York – the state that has the Statue of Liberty in its harbour – is their refuge.”
Cuomo goes on to make the point that everyone will be respected in his state.
“Whether you are gay or straight, Muslim or Christian, rich or poor, black or white or brown, we respect all people in the state of New York.
“It’s the very core of what we believe and who we are. But it’s not just what we say, we passed laws that reflect it, and we will continue to do so, no matter what happens nationally. We won’t allow a federal government that attacks immigrants to do so in our state.
“We are a state of immigrants. We are the state that raised the minimum wage to $15. We are the state that passed Paid Family Leave. We are the state that passed marriage equality. We are New York, and we will stand up for you. And on that, I will never compromise. Count on it.”
The governor order an investigation into hate crimes in Wellsville, New York as a report from earlier this week alleged that a field was defaced with the phrase “make America white again” and a swastika.
The report of vandalism isn’t an isolated incident. In Utah, a couple had homophobic slurs written on their car. In Michigan, a married couple and their gender fluid roommate had their door defaced with similar slurs.
The invite from Cuomo comes after a spike in hate crimes in America following the announcement that Donald Trump will is the president-elect.
Trump’s campaign was littered with homophobic, misogynist and racist rhetoric that offended scores of communities including Muslims, Latinos, women and the disabled.
Safety pins are being worn by American citizens across the continent to show solidarity with victims of homophobic, racist and religious abuse.
