(The Center Square) — A proposal that would amend New York’s Constitution to protect abortion rights and “gender identity” has been cleared for the November ballot by the state’s highest court. The decision from the Court of Appeals, issued Thursday, affirms a lower court ruling from June that dismissed an appeal by Republican lawmakers, who sued to keep it off the ballot, arguing that a technical error barred Democrats from putting the question before the state’s voters. The proposed Equal Rights Amendment, which was put on the Nov. 5 ballot by the Democratic-controlled state Legislature, wou…