Citizens Against Discrimination

By Jay Gilpatrick

Citizens Against Discrimination is a new group formed to speak out about

discrimination. Jay gave this speech on the steps of the Federal Building in Buffalo, New York on October 28, 1999. Disability discrimination complaints were mailed to the U.S. Department of Justice. Afterwards, about 100 people marched to the Erie County Legislature Building to deliver petitions against discrimination.

Good Afternoon, Friends and Fellow Advocates. I’m Jay Gilpatrick, a spokesman for Citizens Against Discrimination. Our objective is to stop all discrimination here in Buffalo and Erie County so that all people can live and participate in the community they choose. We are recipients of mental health services in Buffalo and Erie County.

We live in the so called "City of Good Neighbors." However, Allentown and Elmwood corridor block clubs are blaming us for neighborhood problems. They believe we are barriers to upper-class neighborhoods, safe streets and high property values. This is discrimination.

As if that’s not enough. Now the agencies that provide us with needed services are subject to the same discrimination under the name of human services agency saturation. So called "neighborhood leaders" say they are not being discriminatory, but they think we could find a better location because they think there are just too many of us. It is easy to read between the lines. It is discrimination.

  1. Kendra’s Law has been passed in New York State. It allows almost anyone to force us into treatment options not of our choosing. This is discrimination
  2. Buffalo Psychiatric Center might be closed for neighborhood projects. Approximately eight hundred people in our community rely on the psych center, not to mention lost jobs. This is discrimination.
  3. A local candidate for public office even suggested people with mental health diagnoses or on medication should not be allowed to vote. This is discrimination

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Our slogan is WAKE UP wherever you want to. Stigma and discrimination are too commonplace in our society.