ABOUT
EQNM

Mission:

Equality New Mexico is a statewide education and advocacy organization that works for full recognition of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights. 

EQNM works throughout the state to end discrimination, shape public opinion and policy, as well as strengthen our alliances with local, regional, and national partners.

History:

Equality New Mexico Foundation, formerly the Coalition for Equality in New Mexico, was founded on May 2, 1993. The organization emerged as the Coalition of Gay and Lesbian Rights in New Mexico in the aftermath of the second defeat of legislation designed to amend the New Mexico Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. The intent of the Coalition was to create a shared statewide vision for gay and lesbian civil and human rights as well as to provide a unified political voice for New Mexico gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.

The Foundation’s work has consistently been organizing and coordinating LGBT families and individuals along with allied communities across the state. In 2003, EQNMF was responsible for the passage of both the Non-Discrimination and Hate Crimes laws based on both sexual orientation and gender identity.

Equality New Mexico, formerly Basic Rights New Mexico, formed in April 2003 to counter efforts to overturn Non-Discrimination legislation by gathering signatures for a November 2004 ballot referendum. To date, EQNM has trained numerous local leaders and identified over 12,000 voters that support gay rights as well as lobbied for LGBT legal protections. Through our work of engaging, identifying, and building a base of pro-LGBT voters, EQNM has demonstrated the capacity to mobilize hundreds of LGBT people and allied communities to participate as volunteers in our political vision.