Intersectionality Series Part One: ProgressNow New Mexico

At EQNM, we attempt to work from an intersectional framework and believe in centering the needs of those most directly impacted by any policy decision. But what does intersectionality look like in the context of LGBTQ liberation?

LGBTQ people are Indigenous, Black, Latinx, and Asian. We are rural and urban. We are disabled, and we need to access all types of healthcare. We are parents, workers, and students. We experience poverty, incarceration, and homelessness.

The bottom line is that LGBTQ people live in all identities and experiences, and that we are more than just our LGBTQ identities. Our identities are overlapping, or intersecting. That’s why EQNM partners with organizations that aren’t necessarily LGBTQ-focused, and why we care about racial justice, healthcare access, workers’ rights, criminal justice reform, and more. These issues are all LGBTQ issues, too.

We’re rolling out this new Intersectionality Series to uplift some of our partner organizations and highlight how their work intersects with our mission of LGBTQ liberation. The first people we spoke with were Jackie Aguirre and Edgar Cruz of ProgressNow New Mexico (PNNM), an multi-issue organization that centers systemically excluded communities and uplifts their voices. PNNM works to ensure that families and individuals have equitable access to the tools and resources they need to grow, create, and thrive.

One of PNNM’s priorities is reproductive justice. Jackie in particular has experience in reproductive justice spaces. “My goals are to get New Mexicans loud and proud on access to all inclusive reproductive care—everything from education and contraception to abortion care and family planning. I would like to see more New Mexicans unabashedly proud of how much we celebrate bodily autonomy,” she says.

Every LGBTQ person deserves to be in control of their own body, and reproductive justice is a crucial part of that. Queer women, transgender, and nonbinary people can all get pregnant, and therefore are affected by accessibility of contraception, abortion care, and pregnancy care. LGBTQ families need parenting resources, family planning, assisted reproductive services, and more. And all queer and trans folks deserve access to comprehensive sex education and sexual health resources.

After such amazing progress, all of those needs are now more in danger than they’ve been in the last fifty years. This is because of the pending SCOTUS decision over Roe v. Wade, which is one of the current priorities of PNNM. This decision will create a critical shift not just for those seeking abortion care across the country, but also for all of us who want to decide what healthcare we seek—from gender confirmation procedures to PrEP and PEP access, queer and trans lives are also on the line with this decision. 

PNNM points out that when people think about reproductive rights, health, and justice, they often think only about women and in turn may erase queer and trans stories, “and that is not okay. So as people in the movement, it is our responsibility to be intentional in our inclusivity, and to keep each other accountable in being inclusive.”

When asked what her favorite thing was about New Mexico, Jackie said, “I love that New Mexico embraces and celebrates their Indigenous cultures. New Mexican communities make it a point to intentionally include the many Pueblos and Indigenous folx whose land we live on today.” To learn more about Jackie and Edgar, check out this video!

How We Endorse Our Candidates

2022 is an election year for New Mexico, which means we’ll be rolling out our endorsements for the Primary soon! First, though, we wanted to tell you about our values-based endorsement process—that way, you get a better understanding of why we choose certain candidates over others.

Our first step involves sending candidates a questionnaire of basic, mostly yes/no questions. Here are a few examples:

• Will you oppose policies that prohibit or weaken history lessons by way of banning race-related or LGBTQ inclusive history/social studies lessons?

• Will you vote for and champion the NM Voting Rights Act package in its entirety? 

The purpose of this questionnaire is to quickly identify candidates who are fully aligned with our non-negotiable values. Candidates must get a 100% in order to move forward to the next step.

If, based on the questionnaire, a candidate is fully aligned with EQNM’s values, they are then interviewed by our Endorsement Committee. We believe that the Committee is truly representative of New Mexico—we have members from all four corners of the state, rural and urban. The Committee is multi-racial, multi-generational, and multi-issue. In fact, many members are advocates and organizers for other organizations that fight for important causes like economic and reproductive justice; we know that members are committed to improving the lives of LGBTQ New Mexicans and other marginalized groups in the state.

After candidate interviews, which serve to dig deeper into each candidate’s beliefs and their dedication to those beliefs, the Endorsement Committee takes time to deliberate. They can pick as many people as they want to endorse—there is no maximum or minimum limit, meaning their choices are truly based on values, not quotas.

The Endorsement Committee’s recommendations then go to our Board of Directors. The Board considers both the questionnaires and the Committee’s recommendations when making the final decision on endorsements.

With our new tiered endorsement system, the Board of Directors is also responsible for distinguishing between Endorsed Candidates and Equality Champions (though the Committee makes recommendations about this as well). Endorsed Candidates are candidates who we believe are aligned with our values and who we plan to count on to be a solid vote for our priorities, but who have not necessarily demonstrated a desire to go above and beyond for LGBTQ liberation.

Equality Champions, on the other hand, are candidates who have already been in a position of power and demonstrated a willingness to go to the mat for EQNM and the LGBTQ community. These are folks who have lobbied behind the scenes, sponsored our bills, worked to include EQNM in key policy discussions, or otherwise prioritized our values and our community with more than just a yes/no vote on a specific bill or policy.

Think of it like tug-of-war. If EQNM is at the rope, fighting for progressive policies to get pulled over the line, our Endorsed Candidates are going to show up at the game and cheer us on. Our Equality Champions are the ones who are going to dig their heels into the mud, grab the rope, and pull with us.

Be on the lookout for our endorsements for the Primary Election, and especially for our Equality Champions! Do you want to help us at the rope, too? Consider donating and/or volunteering with us. We’re so excited to elect dedicated candidates who will join us in the fight for LGBTQ liberation.

Happy LGBTQ Health Awareness Week!

We believe that the wellbeing of LGBTQ New Mexicans is crucial to the wellbeing of our state. That’s why we wanted to use this week to remind you that taking care of your body and mind is important, and it’s something you deserve!

While we often emphasize sexual health as an important part of LGBTQ health, that’s not all there is to it. Like for all people, general preventative healthcare is important for LGBTQ folks too! So, take some time to ask yourself: 

• Have I had my annual checkup/physical this year?

• Do I have regular mental health check-ins set up with a counselor or therapist?

• Have I been getting enough water and sleep?

• Have I been regularly moving my body in a way that feels good to me?

We realize that obtaining healthcare can be difficult for some folks. If you’re looking for a primary care provider (often referred to as a PCP) and you already have insurance, you can ask your insurance provider to give you a list of doctors that your plan covers. And if you don’t have insurance, community health clinics are a great place to start! They often offer a sliding scale pay option based on your income. Here is a website where you can input your zip code to find community health clinics near you.

If you’re looking for a mental health provider, here is a website where you can find LGBTQ-affirming mental health agencies in New Mexico. Keep in mind that mental health check-ins are a good idea for everybody—not just queer and trans folks. While you certainly can seek a therapist’s help for LGBTQ-related traumas, it’s also totally fine if you’re seeking counseling for unrelated struggles in your life, like work or family stress. We are more than just our LGBTQ identities, and we face obstacles just like everybody else.

Finally, make sure you’re practicing self care, this week and all weeks. Try your best to drink enough water, get enough sleep, move your body lovingly, and take time to do the things that make you happy. These are all good ways to nurture both your physical and mental health. Remember, self-love is an act of queer resistance.

Trans Texan families, we support you.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has recently released a letter instructing the Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate trans children’s parents as child abusers. He also directs professionals like doctors, nurses, and teachers to report any trans children they interact with. The important thing to note about this letter is that it's a non-binding opinion, not a law. 

Here are the facts:

• This letter has no legal effect; it does not change Texas law.

• Every major medical association agrees that gender-affirming care is medically necessary.

• It’s the responsibility of the courts to interpret Texas law and the Constitution; so far, no court in Texas or anywhere else in the United States has ever ruled that medically necessary gender-affirming care constitutes child abuse.

• Federal law like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits teachers, counselors, and school administrators from asking about students’ private medical information or disclosing whether a student is trans.

Still, we know that this letter is of course deeply concerning, and emotionally traumatizing for trans Texans, and trans people everywhere. Trans people deserve to be in control of their own bodies, and they deserve to live without fear of violence or discrimination, both individual and government-sanctioned. And none of us deserves to have our very existence questioned by our governments, or to be used as politically charged scapegoats.

So, folks in Texas, we urge you to continue speaking up for the wellbeing of trans youth in your state. Here are five district attorneys who have already stepped forward, openly refusing to comply with the governor’s “egregious” orders.

Are you also disgusted with Greg Abbott’s letter? Here are some things you can do, no matter which state you live in:

• Urge the Department of Family and Protective Services to protect the trans youth of Texas.

• Tell a trans person you love them. Reach out to someone you know, or join the Transgender Education Network of Texas in sending a virtual love letter to trans Texans.

Trans families in Texas, we see you. Your LGBTQ neighbors in New Mexico support you during this especially difficult time, and always. If you find yourself in need, here are some resources we hope will help:

• Transgender Education Network of Texas

• Equality Texas

• Lambda Legal

• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas

We demand a full investigation

Sexual misconduct, harassment, and assault in all of their forms are about power - and they always have been.  And LGBTQ Americans experience harassment in the workplace, and outside of it at very high rates.

People in power have always done whatever it takes to grasp on to that power and often become so enamored with it that they can’t help trying to increase it.  This always comes at the expense of people who at the moment, or historically, lack access to that power.

 When Senator Ivey-Soto referenced the Sexual Orientation of Marianna Anaya by saying: “I mean, she’s a lesbian,” he said “There’s nothing sexual about the relationship between Mariana and I.” these experiences and the oppression that comes with them were brought right back into the forefront of our minds.  Marianna’s attorney was 100% right (though his language could be updated): “I think that the polite and diplomatic comment that I can offer is that sexual abuse and sexual harassment occur without regard to sexual preference or consent, as a matter of definition,” Monagle said.

The history of Queer and Trans people is wrought with experiencing a lack of control over our bodies, whether through directly focused laws that prohibited our sexuality or gender expression for decades - or the contemporary versions - discriminatory laws aimed at preventing Trans youth from being who they truly are.  We can, and must demand better, especially from the leaders who are charged with making the laws that impact our daily lives. 

LGBTQ people deserve better than to continue to experience this, and we deserve better than to have these excuses used in the face of very serious allegations.  

Equality New Mexico, on behalf of LGBTQ New Mexicans has been fighting for liberation for 29 years, and this moment can be no different.  LGBTQ New Mexicans deserve access to justice when we are wronged, Marianna Anaya is due this, at the very least. We call on the Senate Leadership: President ProTem Mimi Stewart, and Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth, who have been endorsed by EQNM in previous elections, to push this complaint into a full investigation. 

Ask your legislators to put 16-year-old voting back in SB8

Victory! Senate Bill 8, the New Mexico Voting Rights Act, has just been passed in the Senate Rules Committee. There’s still work to be done, though, as enfranchisement for 16-year-olds has been stripped from the bill.

Why do 16-year-olds deserve to vote in school board elections? 16-year-olds work and pay taxes (no taxation without representation, right?). Youth are leading social movements in climate action, gun violence prevention, anti-racism, and more. Their daily lives are directly impacted by decisions made on their school boards. Ultimately, 16-year-olds are contributing members of society who are worthy of agency over their own education, and their own lives.

Young New Mexicans are the future of our state, so it’s only fair that they have a say in that future. Plus, voting earlier on in life will build a strong foundation for a lifetime of civic engagement.

For LGBTQ youth, however, 16-year-old enfranchisement on SB8 isn’t just a matter of building a better future. It’s an urgent, immediate issue.

Every day, trans students are hearing their dead names used in classrooms, and trans athletes are being forced off of school sports teams. Every day, LGBTQ youth are watching their very existence be debated in school board meetings across the state. Shouldn’t they have a say in the elected officials sitting on those boards?

Additionally, LGBTQ youth are especially vulnerable to homelessness, and municipal governments make the key decisions about resource distribution to homelessness programs.

Young New Mexicans deserve a say in their education and the elected officials making decisions about their schooling. Ask your legislators to put 16-year-old voting back in SB8!

It's time to Fix the Human Rights Act

We’re proud that New Mexico’s Human Rights Act is one of the strongest in the country, but it’s time for us to make it even stronger.

Senate Bill 152 will clarify and strengthen our existing nondiscrimination law. Not only will it modernize the Human Rights Act’s language surrounding disability, but it will also close an unintentional loophole that has historically allowed state agencies and publicly-funded entities to claim that they’re exempt from the Act. That means that our taxpayer dollars have been used to facilitate discrimination against our friends, family, and neighbors.

The Human Rights Act has always intended to fully protect New Mexicans from discrimination, so we must make that clear and official with this bill.

SB152 is crucial for the safety of our LGBTQ youth, one of the most vulnerable groups of New Mexicans. Queer and trans youth are over-represented in government systems of care, such as foster care and homeless shelters. They experience mistreatment in those systems at disproportionate rates, too. Because many of the providers that support youth are government contractors and grantees, it's essential that these entities are prohibited from discriminating against queer and trans youth seeking help during their time of greatest need.

Here are a few other groups who will also benefit from enhanced protections because of SB152:

• Students, staff, and faculty facing discrimination in public schools and universities

• Citizens accessing the court systems

• LGBTQ families adopting children

• LGBTQ youth, particularly trans or gender non-conforming youth and LGBTQ youth of color, facing disproportionate mistreatment in the juvenile justice system

The passing of SB152 is especially important during the pandemic, as it’s becoming more and more clear that individuals are relying on a multitude of services provided by a myriad of agencies and contractors. This bill will help ensure that all New Mexicans have access to opportunity without discrimination.

At EQNM, we believe every LGBTQ person deserves to live without fear of violence or discrimination, individual or government-sanctioned. Don’t let your taxpayer dollars continue to fund discriminatory practices in New Mexico. Instead, contact your senators and urge them to vote yes on SB152.

Take Action!

As you know, the Legislative Session jumped into high gear, and EQNM will be actively working for liberation throughout the session. Even though (so far) LGBTQ priority legislation didn’t make the list of Priorities, there are still crucial policies we must pursue, and many we must work to stop!

We will have a regular schedule of Phone and Text banking throughout the Session to help our members and supporters engage with lawmakers on the issues impacting our community!

Use these links to sign up now!

Monday, 1/24: Legislative Session Phonebank

Wednesday, 1/26: Legislative Session Phonebank

Thursday, 1/27: Legislative Session Textbank

Monday, 1/31 Legislative Session Phonebank

Wednesday, 2/2: Virtual Advocacy Day - NM Voting Rights Act - plans to come

Wednesday, 2/2: Legislative Session Phonebank

Thursday, 2/3: Legislative Session Textbank

Monday, 2/7: Legislative Session Phonebank 

Wednesday, 2/9: Legislative Session Phonebank 

Thursday, 2/10: Legislative Session Textbank 

Monday, 2/14: Legislative Session Phonebank

Wednesday, 2/16: Legislative Session Phonebank

Kicking off the 2022 Legislative Session - the Governor's Priorities

This afternoon LGBTQ champion, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham gave her State of State address to the NM Legislature. You can find it in the archived Webcast video on NMlegis.gov.  Look for the House Floor session on January 18th, and begin watching at about the 1 pm mark.

Of course - I am disappointed that Governor Lujan Grisham began by urging the Legislature not to be constrained by incrementalism while addressing teachers' wages but seemed to throw that idea out the window once she moved onto other issues.

EQNM has been asking for months for a shortlist of key LGBTQ priorities to be placed on the agenda for this Legislative Session, and we still haven’t heard about any of them from her office.  But we can assume that this list released by her office means that she chose not to include our priorities. I’d hoped that a Governor who has been a champion for us for so many years would have prioritized our issues in her first administration, but we will continue to push forward to encourage her to act in her values.

Arguably the most passionate part of her address was when she chose to focus on crime.  There is no doubt that crime should be a priority issue at all times.  But let’s be 100% clear - more cops do not prevent crime!

The Governor called for a raise for State Police Officers (in our values, we will not oppose raising wages for any workers,) $100Million for hiring and retention of State Police Officers, and keeping people in jail longer/until their trial.

These are the beginning of setting a tone for how we might address crime.   The research and evidence have been clear for a long time - the key to preventing and lowering crime rates is investing in communities to lift people out of poverty, increase access to basic needs, and provide for rehabilitation after a crime is committed.  

Queer and Trans people launched our battle call to our modern fight for equality - with an anti-police-brutality riot at the Stonewall Inn in 1969.  And here we are 53 years later, still having not accomplished any significant police reform.   Law Enforcement Officers often over police, profile, and over-incarcerate LGBTQ people because of bais they inherited or were taught.  And we are often the victims of brutality and unnecessary violence at the hands of the police.  We cannot pretend that it will just be okay to hand over $100 million dollars and focus on hiring and retention of Police Officers - without the need to provide more training and better screening of Law Enforcement Officers before they are handed a gun and badge and sent into our communities.  Especially when the multiple attempts last year to hold Law Enforcement accountable by reforming the Law Enforcement Academy, and the Licensing and Review process were vetoed by this Governor.  

We have always had a presumption of innocence until proven guilty, but the proposal from the Governor and some District Attorneys, to allow individuals accused of a crime to be held unless they can prove they will not commit another crime is in direct violation of that value! And how does one prove they won’t commit a crime in the future?  Is there an option to receive a “Minority Report”, as well, or must we rely on the majority view of the Precogs? 

I am hopeful about the opportunity to discuss these and many other ideas, efforts, and policies that truly would help reduce crime in New Mexico.  EQNM is suited up for this fight and we will keep our members and supporters updated as these proposals move along.

Because we give props when they are due, we must celebrate that the Governor’s Office did make the protection of our democracy a priority for this legislature.  I am so excited to gear up in support of the New Mexico Voting Rights Act - being led by our Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver.  We know that our liberation will not be achieved by voting alone, but while we have only this system to work within - we must do everything we can to protect it and ensure its inclusion of all of our communities!

This session is off to a less than ideal start, but I am confident that with the power of our movement behind us, and the invaluable partnerships we have across the state we will make it into a Legislative Session that is transformative for Trans and Queer New Mexicans in all 33 counties!

Update your contact information - or join our movement today - so we can help you engage on these critical issues this Legislative Session!

Giving to our LGBTQ families

We all experience this time of year in different ways.

I’ve been listening to Christmas music for over a week, and just a few days ago I put up my Christmas tree and all the decorations (I love Christmas decorations and music!)

Although we don’t have snow all over town yet - we all know NM winters come somewhat late, and when they come they come furiously.  An especially difficult time for our unhoused and low-income neighbors.

And far too often families in New Mexico, especially those with children at home, lose out on the meals provided at school because of the winter holiday break.   

Sadly, we also have all heard the stories of various charity organizations that have discriminatory - anti-LGBTQ practices sucking up all the resources this time of year.

We don’t want to leave our queer and trans families literally out in the cold, because folks don’t know who or how to give to the charitable organizations that include us.

So we put together a shortlist of LGBTQ-specific organizations to whom you can donate (in the ABQ area) to help with clothing, blankets, and food for our LGBTQ relatives.

If you aren’t in the ABQ area - and you know of LGBTQ inclusive organizations, let us by email we’ll include them the next time around!

So here are a list of organizations and the type of donations they need this time of year:

Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico:

Food: Bottled water (please!), Shelf-stable snacks (chips, granola bars, nuts, etc.), Shelf-stable protein (Vienna sausage, pouched meats/tuna, etc.), Cup of noodle soups.

Clothing: Long-sleeved tops, Leggings or sweat pants, Jeans, Underwear: sizes small-large only, any style or “gender”, Sweatshirts or hoodies, Outerwear including jackets, hats, gloves, scarves, etc.

Folks can drop off donations at TGRCNM - 5600 Domingo Rd NE - on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 1:00-6:00 until Dec. 17 or after Jan 3. 

Imperial Sovereign Court of NM: 

Canned or Boxed: Corn, Green beans, Instant Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Gravy

Drop-off at Swank Salon 1400 Carlisle NE before December 14

ABQ Mutual Aide:

Collecting Coats and Winter clothing for all ages and genders

Drop off at Albuquerque Social Club 4021 Central Ave NE (entrance faces Copper Street) Tuesday - Sunday after 6 pm 

If you have the capacity to support any of these local LGBTQ-specific organizations, we encourage you to do so!