Rochester, NY, Passed in 2001
Human Rights Ordinance, May 2001. Prohibits discrimination in housing, public accommodations, employment and obtaining property on the basis of gender, among others. Gender is defined as follows: "Gender includes the biological and social characteristics of gender and gender identity."

Suffolk County, NY, Passed in 2001
The new law protects people who do not conform with the societal expectations of being male or female, including transgender persons. Transgender or "gender variant" individuals will be covered by the new definition of "gender" (which replaces the previous terminology of "sex"), which states, "The term 'gender' shall mean both the biological and social characteristics of being female or male."

New York City, NY, Passed in April 2002
According to the bill's legislative findings, the intent of the bill is "to make clear that all gender-based discrimination - including, but not limited to, discrimination based on an individual's actual or perceived sex, and discrimination based on an individual's gender identity, self-image, appearance, behavior, or expression - constitutes a violation of the City's Human Rights Law." The legislation defines gender to include "actual or perceived sex and shall also include a person's gender identity, self image, appearance, behavior, or expression, whether or not that gender identity, self image, appearance, behavior, or expression is different from that traditionally associated with the legal sex assigned to that person at birth."

Buffalo, NY, Passed in September 2002
On Tuesday September 17, 2002, In a near unanimous vote, the Common Council of the City of Buffalo extended protection against discrimination in employment and housing to transgendered persons. The amendments adding protection for "gender identity and expression" were initiated and sponsored by Councilman Antoine Thompson, who said, "It's another step to break from Buffalo's past and encourage tolerance and diversity."