New York Civil Liberties Union

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The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is one of the nation's foremost defenders of civil liberties and civil rights. Founded in 1951 as the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, it is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization with six chapters and nearly 50,000 members across New York state.

[edit] History

When the NYCLU was founded, civil liberties were under siege. McCarthyism was in full swing, and blacklisting and loyalty oaths were the norm. Government censorship of books and magazines was common, and abortion was a crime. African-Americans, Latinos, and other minorities were subjected to discrimination in education, housing, and employment. Gays and lesbians lived in fear of exposure, and students were virtually without rights. The NYCLU fights for civil liberties and civil rights through a multi-layered program of litigation, advocacy, public education, and community organizing. They represent ordinary people who have experienced injustice and have decided to fight back.

[edit] Beliefs

The organization believes that all New Yorkers have "certain unalienable rights" that cannot be taken away by the government or by majority vote. Similar to the United States Bill of Rights, they include:

Freedom of speech, press, petition and assembly - even unpopular expression is protected from government suppression and censorship;

Freedom of religion - the right to exercise one's own religion, or no religion, free from any government influence or compulsion;

Privacy - the right to be free from unwarranted and unwanted government intrusion into one's personal and private affairs, papers, and possessions;

Due process of law - the right to be treated fairly by the government whenever the loss of liberty or property is at stake;

Equality before the law - the right to be treated equally regardless of nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, disability, or socio-economic status.