Combating Discrimination, Promoting Equal Access
Make the Road New York has demonstrated strong leadership in both documenting and combating national origin discrimination within the administration of New York City public schools and government agencies.

As a result, New York City’s government is significantly closer to ensuring equal access to vital government services, like Medicaid, Food Stamps and public assistance, by providing language assistance services to the twenty-five percent of New Yorkers who are still in the difficult process of learning English.

Building an active, politically conscious voting base
Make the Road New York’s Voter Education and Mobilization Project provides our members and community residents with effective outreach skills to educate their neighbors about critical issues and make sure that infrequent voters get out and vote. We are also a founding member of NY VOTE, a citywide coalition of community groups and labor unions that focuses on voter turnout in neighborhoods with historically low voter participation.

In 2006, Make the Road New York knocked on close to 10,000 doors during the primary and general elections, and spoke with over 2,700 progressive voters who committed to going to the polls, effectively ensuring a stronger role for low-income voters in Brooklyn and Queens.

Additionally, throughout our organization’s history, we have supported over 13,000 immigrants in becoming citizens of the United States.

Defending the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth and Adults
GLOBE (Gays and Lesbians of Bushwick Empowered) started as an-all volunteer project at Make the Road New York in 1999. It was, and still is, the only LGBT advocacy and support group in Eastern Brooklyn and Western Queens. GLOBE founder and current full-time organizer Dee Perez says," Giving Bushwick a safe space for myself and the LGBT community here was a dream of mine and now it’s become a reality. But we still have a lot of work to do."

In February, 2006, life became exceedingly difficult for transgendered Helena Stone, a veteran Verizon employee who worked in Grand Central Terminal. Police from the Metropolitan Transit Authority subjected her to repeated arrest for using the women’s bathroom, verbal abuse, and physical harassment, all because she is transgendered.
GLOBE sprang into action and organized a rally in support of Helena Stone. Quoted widely in the media, Dee said, "I know my rights, but this could happen to me." She is hopeful that attention brought to the issue will result in sensitivity training for police officers on transgender issues.

All charges against Helena Stone were dropped, and the MTA is reviewing policies related to this incident. Ms. Stone also recently won a lawsuit against the MTA.
Closer to home, GLOBE staff and members worked with three area high schools to implement comprehensive anti-homophobia programs through its Safe Schools Campaign, helping to ensure that LGBT students have the same rights and security in schools as all other students.

With GLOBE’s help, Bushwick Community High School has added a policy against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity into its new student handbook. Every student signed a pledge to refrain from name-calling and using homophobic language–a major accomplishment. Collaborating with students and faculty, GLOBE continues to push for similar policies at other high schools.

Expanding Civil Rights | Promoting Health | Improving Housing | Winning Workplace Justice | Improving Public Education