Governor Hochul: «I feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders, the torch that was passed to me from those women 173 years ago. While I’m still alive as your first female governor ever in the State of New York, I will protect those rights, I will make that torch glow even brighter before I pass it on to the next generation and together we’ll send a message across this nation – you come to New York, we’ll protect your abortion rights every single day of the week.»
Hochul: «Don’t mess with New York. We’re fighting for our rights right here and we’ll protect the rest of you.»
Today, speaking at the Albany Women’s March and Rally for Reproductive Rights, Governor Kathy Hochul reaffirmed New York’s commitment to upholding women’s rights and the need to continue the fight to protect these rights as other states work to limit them.
VIDEO of the Governor’s remarks is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.
AUDIO of today’s remarks is available here.
PHOTOS are available on the Governor’s Flickr page.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
Hello, Albany. You are just rocking the pink, my friends. You look awesome out there. I am so delighted to be here and first of all, thank you, Chelly, for gathering us here together on this spectacular day, just a reminder of the power when people congregate and make sure their voices are heard. So Chelly Hagen, thank you. I want to thank you for being the president of the Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood. Let’s give a round of applause for Chelly.
And someone who needs no introduction because this city knows her and knows her well, our great Mayor Kathy Sheehan, let’s keep Kathy in office forever. Mayor of Troy Patrick Madden, because we need enlightened men at our side too, do we not, sisters? Let’s give a round of applause for our mayor, and all of our colleagues and friends.
I just got in from Seneca Falls. Why did I go to Seneca Falls? Well, first of all, their rally was before yours. Okay. So that’s nothing personal here. I went there because I needed to channel the spirit of those brave, audacious women who 173 years ago demanded the rights to control their own bodies. They were tired of being the property of men. They stood up, they fought, and many of them did not live long enough to see the rights that they believed in and fought for in Seneca Falls at that gathering.
But we are all beneficiaries of that because they had courage and stood up. And I think of that when I’m seeing all of you here today. The fight that was a fight when my mother was in her 30s. A fight that was a fight when I was in my 30s myself and is still a fight today when my daughter, Katie, is in her 30s. I’m sick and tired of having to fight over abortion rights. It’s settled law in the nation and you are not taking that right away from us, not now, not ever.
And my heart goes out to the women in places like Texas and Georgia and Missouri and so many others, and 58 percent of women who are reproductive age live in states where they’re trying to strip those rights away. That is a crime and we have to stand up for them. And just as in 1886 a beautiful statue was erected in our harbor, a safe harbor for people who’ve been oppressed all over the world, the Statue of Liberty, we welcome people from all over this nation. This is your safe harbor. You come to New York and we’ll take care of you. We’ll let you know that we protect your rights and we’ll keep up that fight.
So just in closing, my friends, I am feeling so energized and I feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders, the torch that was passed to me from those women 173 years ago. While I’m still alive as your first female governor ever in the State of New York, I will protect those rights, I will make that torch glow even brighter before I pass it on to the next generation and together we’ll send a message across this nation – you come to New York, we’ll protect your abortion rights every single day of the week. We are leading in this state into the future, and we will be there for all of you across America.
In other words, don’t mess with New York. We’re fighting for our rights right here and we’ll protect the rest of you.