Feminists Condemn NY Governor’s Signing of Medical Aid in Dying Act (MAID) State-Sanctioned Suicide Is Anti-Women, Anti-Human Rights, and a Betrayal of the Vulnerable

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 7, 2026

Contact: info@fclny.org, FCLNY.ORG

Feminists Condemn NY Governor’s Signing of Medical Aid in Dying Act (MAID)

State-Sanctioned Suicide Is Anti-Women, Anti-Human Rights, and a Betrayal of the Vulnerable

Feminists Choosing Life of New York (FCLNY), a statewide human rights organization committed to a consistent ethic of life, expresses profound dismay and moral outrage at the Governor’s signing of New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act on February 6.

"MAID does not represent compassion, progress, or respect for human dignity. It represents the abandonment of New Yorkers—especially women, people with disabilities, the poor, and those struggling with illness, isolation, or despair—at the moment they most need care, protection, and hope," claims FCLNY's executive director, Michele Sterlace-Accorsi.

FCLNY opposes all forms of state-sanctioned lethal violence, including abortion and assisted suicide. "The legalization of physician-assisted suicide is not a neutral policy choice; it is a profound shift in how the state understands the value of human life," adds Sterlace-Accorsi. "When government authorizes suicide as a medical “treatment,” it sends a chilling message: some lives are no longer worth the investment of care, compassion, and resources."

Medical Aid in Dying Is Anti-Women

Amy Crossed, FCLNY Board Director, states: "Assisted suicide laws disproportionately impact women. Studies show that in jurisdictions where Medical Aid in Dying is legal, women are more likely than men to use these laws. This is not surprising. Women are more likely to live longer, to be widowed, to experience poverty in old age, to shoulder caregiving burdens, and to internalize feelings of being a “burden” on others. When the state offers death instead of support, women are subtly—but powerfully—pushed toward choosing it."

"Women deserve better than a prescription for death. They deserve affordable, effective, and compassionate hospice and palliative care. They deserve mental health support, pain management, social connection, and the assurance that their lives retain dignity and meaning even in illness, disability, or dependency, " says Cecelia Lester, FCLNY's Board President.

Assisted Suicide Increases Overall Suicide Rates

"Evidence from states and countries where assisted suicide is legal shows a troubling pattern: legalization is associated with significant increases in overall suicide rates, " highlights Sterlace-Accorsi. "Rather than preventing desperate deaths, state-sanctioned suicide normalizes self-destruction as a solution to suffering. This cultural shift endangers everyone—but especially vulnerable individuals already at risk of suicide, including people with disabilities, those experiencing depression, and even children and adolescents who absorb the message that some lives are expendable," posits Lester.

Extreme Autonomy at the Expense of the Vulnerable

According to Sterlace-Accorsi: "The Medical Aid in Dying Act embodies an extreme and distorted vision of autonomy—one that elevates individual choice above social responsibility and communal care. True freedom does not exist in a vacuum. Choices are shaped by economic pressure, inadequate healthcare, fear of dependency, and social isolation. For the poor, the disabled, and the marginalized, “choice” can quickly become coercion. A society that offers death instead of care has failed its most basic human rights obligations."

State-Sanctioned Suicide Degrades Us All

FCLNY believes that government-approved suicide devalues life itself. It tells people who are suffering that their continued existence is negotiable, conditional, and costly. The group says that: "True compassion never involves helping someone die because caring for them is inconvenient or expensive. True compassion means refusing to abandon anyone—especially those who most need support, love, and hope."

"New York should be leading the nation in expanding access to high-quality hospice care, palliative medicine, disability services, and mental health support—not in authorizing doctors to help patients end their lives," claims the organization.

According to Lester, "Feminists Choosing Life of New York will continue to stand for women, for the vulnerable, and for the radical, unwavering belief that every human life has inherent dignity and worth." "New Yorkers deserve better than MAID. Compassion must never be confused with killing," she adds.

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