Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was in Rochester to denounce the recent surge in hate crimes that have occurred here and around the state.
She was joined at City Hall by Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren, other local leaders, and members of the local faith community.
"This hate, this language, this behavior must never be normalized. It must never be okay," she said.
Gillibrand talked about recent incidents in Rochester with the burning of LGBT flags, hate fliers in Pittsford and Brighton, and anti-Semitic graffiti found at SUNY Geneseo.
"Every time we see a hate crime we have to stand up and say this is wrong, and we do not stand for this and we do not believe in this, and it's not our American values," she said.
Gillibrand, in an emotional message, says every New Yorker has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, and no one should have to endure intimidation and bigotry.
Rabbi Allan Katz said the sadness of this time is not that the hate acts are occurring and the groups are out there, it's they've been given permission to speak.
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said she's grateful Gillibrand chose Rochester to spread her message of unity and tolerance.
"We cannot normalize this behavior as the Senator has said. And I think that's what we're seeing. Whether you're in Pittsford or Webster or wherever, the communities are coming together and saying this is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it in our community," she said.
The Mayor added that Rochester, the home of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, will stand up against racism, and against hate.
Here's Sen. Gillibrand speaking at City Hall: