What to Expect in the 2025 Legislative Session

We know you’re still recovering from all that holiday champagne, but you’re probably also feeling anxious after reading headlines about what’s at stake for our community, our state, and our country in 2025. For progressive movements, including the fight for queer and trans liberation here in New Mexico, it’s a time for regrouping and agenda-setting. EQNM is working closely with our partner organizations to identify all the ways we can protect New Mexicans from the incoming Trump administration while maintaining the priorities we’ve always championed at home. Let’s be clear: This is our job, and we are well prepared for it. Much has not changed. We’ve always known what LGBTQ New Mexicans need, and we aren’t giving up all our priorities just because of one election result.

Our first opportunity to make an impact will come mid-January, when our state representatives will come together in Santa Fe for a 60-day legislative session. While we don’t yet know which specific bills are on the docket, we can expect the session to focus on a mix of policies that will safeguard against and absorb any hits we might take at the federal level, as well as revisiting some of New Mexico’s ongoing high-priority issues, like public safety. EQNM will be posted up at the roundhouse for the duration of the session, advocating for LGBTQ New Mexicans and reporting critical developments back to you. We may need to call on you to contact your representatives and let them know where you stand, so if you want to use your voice sign up here.

Since the election, we’ve heard from a lot of you that you’re concerned about protecting your access to healthcare and other essential services. We anticipate that healthcare, including abortion and gender-affirming care, will be a high priority this session. Specifically we will be working to ensure that budgets are not slashed so much that accessing services, even if they are still legal, is effectively impossible. We will also advocate against allowing the federal government to identify and prosecute New Mexicans for securing these services. Our data belongs to us, and our privacy is a human right. That applies outside the healthcare system, too, around issues like immigration, incarceration, and asserting dissenting opinions in public. While we cannot protect New Mexicans against every federal attack, we feel confident that short of an act of Congress (those move slowly, if at all), we will be able to safeguard most New Mexicans’ right to access the life-saving reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare we deserve.

Fortunately, this year we voted to maintain a progressive majority in the legislature, and Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham has demonstrated a commitment to these core values.  In fact all of our statewide elected officals are ready to throw down for LGBTQ New Mexicans—from the Land Comissioner and Secretary of State to the Attorney General and Governor! Holding those progressive majorities in our state legislature is a crucial win for our communities.  

This past summer, many of you contacted your representatives about public safety during the governor’s special legislative session. EQNM, along with 40 other community groups, sent a letter to the governor asking for the session to be canceled. We argued that the approaches to public safety being proposed were not designed to address the root issues of the problems, and would have negative consequences for the LGBTQ community and all New Mexicans. In the upcoming legislative session, our coalition is ready to share a broad, proactive public safety agenda that offers solutions for problems like access to affordable housing, drug addiction treatment, improved support for mental and behavioral health, and criminal legal reforms that include building pathways back to community and reducing the odds that folks will return to prison. In addition to public safety, you’ll also see us advocating for policies we have long supported, such as changing the voting age to 16, paid family and medical leave, and generally ensuring that state agencies and public systems fully engage with and respond to the intersectional needs of LGBTQ constituents. 

EQNM has had a number of community conversations and collaborations with fellow queer and trans organizations in advance of the legislative session; if you have something to say that we need to hear, please reach out to us. E-mail Marshall or Narthan at info@eqnm.org to share your insights.

Our Top 10 Wins of 2024!

For the first time in more than 20 years, hundreds of LGBTQ people came together from across New Mexico from a dozen+ counties to learn about policy, movement values and share dialogue about what's next. We helped build new relationships across our state,so that we can continue to grow our movement for years to come!

Because of our larger staff and influx of volunteers, we were able to attend more Prides across New Mexico than ever before. This meant more community conversations, more new members and more volunteers!

We worked over the last two years alongside some phenomenal partners to research rural and community-of-color attitudes about trans New Mexicans. This year we released the research, which includes key messaging on how to win over New Mexicans on issues facing trans and nonbinary folks!

We convened our LGBTQ Roundtable to map out the access, barriers, and issues facing queer and trans people seeking behavioral healthcare!  This report will be released soon, and provides a policy roadmap for legislators and government officials for improving access.

In a year where the entire New Mexico State Legislature was up for election, we had a thorough, values-driven, community-centered endorsement process.  Plus, we worked to turn out voters for the candidates we endorsed: texting, calling, and mailing across the state in both the primary election and the general. Over 80% of our endorsed candidates won! 

As we begin 2025, we are so excited that in 2024 we developed, sourced funding, and kicked off our new leadership development program, called the Legislative Fellowship!  We will be teaching, mentoring and developing the next policy leaders for LGBTQ liberation.

Our annual Resilience event was a huge success! Thanks so much to our performers, donors, staff and volunteers who made this the event of the Pride season. Don't forget to mark your calendar for the first Saturday of June in 2025.

We are so proud to have defeated all the bad bills throughout the 2024 legislative session, including the special session on public safety, that would have harmed LGBTQ people. We worked with partners to make sure there were no successful attempts to attack trans New Mexicans, and to beat back the harmful "tough-on-crime" proposals that only would have attempted to incarcerate our way out of an addiction, behavioral health, and homelessness crisis. (That won't work, as we know!)

In January of 2024, we were a team of 3 employees. Now, as we wrap up 2024, we have 6 staff and 2 ongoing contractors working to ensure we are leading the movement for LGBTQ liberation in New Mexico! 

We were honored by the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs! We are so grateful that they selected us as a Community Partner at their annual conference and can't wait to work alongside them this upcoming legislative session.

World AIDS Day: Celebrating Progress and Preparing for the Future

by Marshall Martinez

My activism journey began in the summer of 1997, when I learned about preventing the spread of HIV. I happened to walk past a booth at the county fair where a man, who ultimately became a lifelong mentor and friend to me, asked if I'd like to attend a training about how to have safer sex. Back then, misinformation about sex and sexuality was rampant at my high school. There were juniors and seniors who had no idea how people become pregnant—or, more specifically, how they might not get pregnant! Since authority figures were neglecting the straight kids, it goes without saying that the existence of queer kids like me was never even acknowledged. 

There wasn’t much to do in Alamogordo, so I agreed to participate in the training. I learned how to assess risk for myself, and even how to make all kinds of decisions about sex, drugs, and alcohol. I was taught both how to say no and how to be safe if I decided to try something. What began as a way to kill time that small town summer grew into a passion project for me. I began sharing what I learned with others. I worked to ensure that young people had equitable access to high-quality sex education, condoms, and treatment for sexually-transmitted diseases. I was even punished for providing my peers with accurate information and daring to give condoms to people who were sexually active. 

Even though I was the only queer kid out there providing all of this sex education to straight kids, I was undeterred. I saw how important it was for everyone. At the end of the day, both straight and queer kids grow up and learn together whether any adults want to acknowledge the spectrum of sexual health or not. My experience doing this outreach definitely helped solidify what I already suspected—that I’m gay. Once I realized so clearly that I was queer, I felt an even deeper connection to sexual health because I learned about the AIDS epidemic and its history in my community. I had no idea prior, which speaks to the erasure of gay and bisexual men in addition to being an epic sex ed failure.

This World AIDS Day, I feel forever grateful for my high school experience and how it helped me grow into the young activist I was destined to be.  

Sadly, our country is still lacking in quality sex education for young people, and it hurts everyone—not just queer and trans kids. For us, it is especially dangerous to cede our sex education to pornography and pop culture references. There are countless complexities and nuances we must understand in order to lead sexually healthy lives.

Over the past 20 years, I have been blessed to observe and experience the incredible progress that sexual health advocates have made, especially in treating and mitigating the spread of HIV. 

Back in 2003, I got my first job at Equality New Mexico, where leaders in my community were doing this work. My youth activism taught me that systems and policies save communities. I dreamed that one day our community wouldn’t be solely responsible for saving ourselves. 

Now, in 2024, as a result of tireless advocacy efforts and battling to secure dedicated public funding, we have made great strides toward managing the epidemic that once ravaged a generation of queer and trans elders, poor people, and people struggling with drug addiction—disproportionately impacting people of color. PrEP, the medication that reduces transmission rates, is widely available. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2022 more than one-third of people in the U.S. who could benefit from PrEP were prescribed it, and expanding access is considered a major public health initiative. Unfortunately, access is still racially biased, with CDC estimates indicating that 94% of white people who could benefit from PrEP have prescriptions, compared to only 13% of Black and 24% of Latinos who could benefit. 

This is a moment when we should be doubling down on outreach efforts to communities where PrEP could be lifesaving, but HIV-prevention is one of many public health initiatives that will be threatened under the second Trump administration. If we don’t continue to aggressively pursue the goal of comprehensive, medically-accurate, and culturally-appropriate sex education for all students, then the gains we’ve made will undoubtedly regress and racial disparities will exacerbate. We simply cannot eradicate the HIV virus (or HPV and any other life-changing conditions) if we don't teach people about them. 

While we don’t know with certainty yet what will specifically be targeted, we do know that with the federal government signaling plans to make massive cuts over the next four years, states will have to carry the burden. It will be up to us here in New Mexico to be prepared for cuts to programs that supply PrEP and other sexual health treatments, for pandemic-era measures to be dismantled, and that our state government will be strained as it works to ensure the best outcomes for all New Mexicans—including queer and trans kids who are learning how to be out in the world. 

To allow vulnerable communities to slip back into high-risk HIV environments would be a major public health failing, as well as moral malpractice. On World Aids Day, it is important to celebrate how far we have come, but we cannot pretend that our progress is secure and in position to continue. We can't stop. Regardless of the political circumstance we face, now still has to be the time to double down on community health and safety. 

AIDS claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the 1980s and 1990s, but it devastated queer and trans communities in particular. Nearly an entire generation of gay and bisexual men was lost, robbing those of us who were coming-of-age access to mentors. We grew up without seeing examples of what life could be like, to love oneself, to care for oneself, and to be in community. The emotional impact of that cannot be overstated. 

The country’s poor response to the AIDS epidemic was effectively a way to disappear and eradicate us. Those of us who survived are testaments to the strength of our communities. We have always been here and we always will be; we will persevere in the face of threats to our public health programs. 

We cannot pretend, however, that none of us will be lost along the way. It’s literally life and death for our most marginalized. That is why it is so crucial for groups like Equality Mexico, our partners, members of the New Mexico LGBTQ community and our allies continue to fight.   

This World AIDS Day, I ask us to pause and remember—then recommit to that fight.

Funding NM’s LGBTQ Fight in 2025

As we head into a long December, queer and trans New Mexicans and our allies are processing how we came together in 2024 and gearing up for a fight in 2025. Ideally, a time like this would be filled with hope, but we sadly know that the year ahead promises to threaten our community—as well as many others. Next week many deserving advocacy groups, including EQNM, will begin conducting year-end fundraising outreach on Giving Tuesday. For those who are able to contribute to the LGBTQ movement financially, this is an opportunity to help fuel our work in this next chapter.

Last week, we shared our 2024 impact report with the EQNM community. We were able to accomplish so much with your support: re-establishing the NM LGBTQ Roundtable, hosting a statewide summit and 12 pride events, launching the T.R.A.N.S. NM Project to establish research on statewide attitudes (people are mostly supportive!), gaining 700 members, expanding our staff, and focusing on outreach to rural areas and youth. We plan to come at 2025 with the same level of rigor as we seek to protect and expand our existing rights.

Every donation we receive (including the small ones!) helps to build coalitions, reach elected officials, and mobilize communities on the issues we care about.

To be part of the momentum, we recommend choosing one of these three ways to contribute:

• ONE-TIME DONATIONS: These gifts jump-start our activism and help us prepare for the upcoming legislative session in January.

• MONTHLY DONATIONS: These recurring gifts provide guaranteed income that help us prepare for challenges throughout the year.

• PLANNED GIFTS: It’s also possible to donate through a will or bequest, which can guarantee the movement for years to come. You can make a planned gift to EQNM on FreeWill.org. 

We are grateful for your consideration. Please visit goeqnm.org/2024EOY to make your donations.

Look What They Made Us Do

by Marshall Martinez, Executive Director

Elections will never be the only path to our liberation, but queer and trans New Mexicans sure know how to work the system. We are so proud to share a by-the-numbers look at the impact you made on state politics through EQNM’s collaborative actions. Our advocacy contributed to maintaining an LGBTQ-friendly majority in the legislature, and setting us up to maintain and grow our protections!   

Look at what all those hateful 2024 vibes inspired you to do:

• We sent 26,444 text messages.

• We made 17,143 calls and talked to 12,077 voters.

• We sent 12,142 mailers.

• We endorsed 49 candidates for the state legislature and identified 4,692 voters who supported our priority candidates.

• We created 89 social media graphics that educated voters about what’s at stake and stood up against lies about trans New Mexicans. 

• Together we elected 85% of our endorsed candidates! 

This general election was harder than previous ones. It wasn’t just because of the losses, but also because of their nature and the attacks we felt as a community. But EQNM ran an incredibly strong program, and we proved again that New Mexico's values are strong. Our neighbors are on our side! 

While these systems were not designed for us, our community has learned to utilize available tools that make the systems work for us. That is why EQNM works so hard to elect the right representatives to the state legislature. Through these efforts, we are able—along with our champions—to pass laws that allow queer and trans people to live our full, authentic lives in health, safety, and security. 

We’re going to have a lot of work ahead of us! We can get through it and win many of those fights with your help. Now is the time to re-commit to the road ahead with EQNM! Take a moment to click here and ensure we have the most up-to-date information to make activism as convenient as possible for you! 

NM Queer, NM Strong: Our work begins

by Marshall Martinez, Executive Director

NM Queer, NM Strong: Our work begins

There are no words of outrage or consolation that can abate the awfulness of facing another Trump era. For members of the queer and trans community, it is especially difficult to know that millions of Americans voted to support a government that is expressly determined to harm and, ultimately, eradicate us from society. It will take some time to process and settle into this shift in power, but we as LGBTQ New Mexicans are still in a strong position to affirm and secure our rights in a state that has demonstrated its commitment to us in policy and spirit. That is why EQNM exists, because no matter what happens with the federal government we have always known we have to protect our own communities here at home!

There are some bright spots. Many Equality Champions will be returning to the Roundhouse in Santa Fe, joined by new allies and advocates for LGBTQ communities. We cannot overstate the joy we hold for Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to the U.S. Congress, representing Delaware.  

We may be moving forward under attack at the federal level, but we have work to do here in New Mexico—and we are not doing this work alone. EQNM and the whole LGBTQ community have our close partners standing strong with us: Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico, ACLU, Bold Futures New Mexico, and Strong Families have always been with us! 

Regardless of who is in power, LGBTQ New Mexicans know we have work to do here. There are two years left in Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s term, and we must maximize them to maintain our protections while also building toward a more just and equitable future, across all of our intersections. That looks like envisioning public safety laws to protect everyone through a humane and community-based approach, cementing and expanding abortion and gender-affirming care access, securing paid family and medical leave, and empowering our youth in education and school spaces. Our work is more critical than ever, and we are equipped to do it because we are strong here at home.  

In 1993, when a handful of brave and committed New Mexicans founded what is now Equality New Mexico, they did so because they saw that systemic, cultural, and continuous discrimination and hatred fueled policies that harmed us. They knew that federal protections were decades away, and might never come at all. They were proven right when they said that New Mexican values are affirmation, acceptance, and love. They were right when they worked to pass the first non-discrimination law ten years later in 2003. We are still right today when we believe we can continue to create laws that lift up LGBTQ New Mexicans. So, we will keep fighting. 

This presidential election outcome changes a few strategies, but it never changes our goal: liberation for queer and trans New Mexicans through policies that ensure LGBTQ New Mexicans have housing, healthcare, economic security, safety in public and private spaces, and—most of all!—connection and community.  After decades of movement building in New Mexico, these goals are supported and championed not only by EQNM, but by thousands of New Mexicans whose connection to the movement comes from dozens of organizations across the state, all working in collaboration and mutual love for our communities. 

This is our battle as we move forward from the 2024 election. As we prepare to push the federal government to protect what generations of queer and trans people secured for themselves, we must remember to lead by example. For years, New Mexico has been a lighthouse in the dark for people seeking access to abortion care, trans folks living in hostile states, and for people who just want a community that is inclusive, loving, and accepting. We will not give that up because of this presidential election. In fact, we will fight even harder to be that lighthouse, not only for New Mexicans, but as an example for the state governments across the country who want to see how it's done right!

Stand Firm Against Trans Scapegoating in the Election

Stand Firm Against Trans Scapegoating in the Election

by EQNM Staff

The LGBTQ community is no stranger to being used as a pawn to mobilize voters, and the 2024 election season will be remembered for continuing this harmful practice.

 Conservatives in New Mexico and across the country have depicted false characterizations of trans people alongside skewed perspectives of the issues that impact us in order to scare their constituents to the polls. Whether that looks like willfully distorting the knowledge of medical experts who provide gender-affirming health care or sparking moral panics around who is on which sports team, their attacks are intentionally designed to hurt and systematically erase us.

 “These lies are infuriating, but more importantly, they hurt us and they scare our communities,” says Equality New Mexico Executive Director Marshall Martinez. “This is the worst kind of electoral tricks, and we can't let them win with fear and hatred.”

We’ve recently learned of new scare tactics conservative activists are deploying during the last few weeks leading up to Election Day. You may have heard about some of them, too. When you see this happening, the best way to respond is to avoid engaging with their lies by pivoting back to what we know is true.

Instead of giving any more attention or potentially lending credibility to their claims by acknowledging them or responding, simply do not mention their efforts by name or link to any of their misinformation content. If you want to take a counter-action, make an informed statement of your own by standing up for trans people and our rights.

At Equality New Mexico, we conduct research and equip our community members and allies to handle these types of intense situations. We know it is hard to speak when someone else is spitting vitriol, but we have found the following types of language to be most persuasive. 

• New Mexicans appreciate our differences, and as a state we have consistently trusted families to decide what healthcare is best for them—not the government.

• All parents want their children to be happy and healthy and to have opportunities for success. Instead of being afraid and fearful when our children come out to us as transgender, what is really needed is more resources, education, and acceptance. 

• In our lifetime, we’ve seen big increases in accepting gay men, lesbian women, and support for marriage equality. This same cultural shift can and will happen for transgender people. For their health and safety, it is important for each of us to work our best to support the transgender people in our lives.

• We found in a recent study we commissioned that the majority (65%) of New Mexicans in both urban and rural areas believe we should be working to create more acceptance and affirmation for our trans community members. 

We are fortunate to have many powerful champions for queer and trans folks in our state, including our New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez. As he has pointed out, we can and will compromise on policy ideas; we can and will compromise on the details of our programs; but we can never compromise on the dignity and humanity of our people. Never. 

Elections have become more polarized and hateful in recent years. Now, apparently, conservative activists feel empowered to say anything about us, often without having to prove it. When this kind of lying to voters becomes the norm, it's dangerous.

“These attacks on LGBTQ people, specifically trans people, have just gotten worse and worse,” Martinez says. “They aren’t only lying to win your vote. They’re lying to inspire violence and hatred, too. We won’t stand for it.”

LGBTQ Voters Can Begin Casting Our Ballots

by EQNM staff

Like many Americans, you’ve probably been imagining Nov. 5, 2024 in your head since you saw live footage of insurrectionists descending on the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. After years of wondering what could possibly come next for the nation and here at home in New Mexico—we’ll know soon enough. If you want to ensure that your voice is heard before the madness of Election Day, here’s another important date for you: Today! 

Early voting begins in New Mexico on Oct. 8. You can learn more about your regional options through your County Clerk’s office. For example, here in Bernalillo County where Equality New Mexico is based in Albuquerque, we have the option to vote early at the Clerk’s Annex from Oct. 8-18, and at 20 Early Vote Convenience Centers from Oct. 19 thru Election Day. 

While the importance of the presidential race is front-and-center, there are high stakes for us here. 

“Our votes for president matter, but the votes we cast for state legislators can be so much more powerful sometimes when local legislative races are often decided by less than 100 votes,” says Marshall Martinez, EQNM’s Executive Director. 

Early voting opportunities have increased in recent elections, as more states embrace the importance of making the process more accessible. According to the Brennan Center, a well-known authority on voting rights, early voting reduces stress on the whole system on Election Day, increases participation among groups that are often overlooked or disenfranchised, means shorter lines, improves poll worker performance, allows for the early detection of glitches, and increases voter satisfaction. Early voting results can also impact media coverage, helping to shape the story going into Election Day. 

“Early voting is the easiest way to ensure that nothing takes your power away,” Marshall says. “Voting early on a Saturday after hitting the farmer's market is more fun than waiting in long lines on a Tuesday. It also means that a flat tire, being caught late at work, or evening traffic don't prevent you from getting to the polls on Election Day. It’s the best way to be certain you get your vote cast.”

There are 112 seats up for election in the New Mexico legislature, and a pro-LGBTQ majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives is at stake. 

As LGBTQ voters, we’ll be impacted by who is in power. The incoming legislators will determine important issues like paid family and medical leave (which protects our chosen families), access to abortion and gender-affirming health care, access to behavioral health care, creating affordable housing (which serves a large population of homeless LGBTQ youth), and making real progress on public safety at the root level. 

With so much hanging in the balance, we understand why many of us want to race to the polls as soon as possible. Visit NMvote.org to find information about how you can vote early—and vote for LGBTQ rights!  

Hi From the Folx Behind Equality New Mexico

by EQNM Staff

We love when we get a chance to know you, our supporters, at our events and on social media. So we wanted to take a moment and give you a chance to get to know us. Consider this a big hello and a hug from the Equality New Mexico team. If you have any questions for us, reach out to info@eqnm.org and Michelle will get back to you.

MARSHALL, Executive Director

Hi, I’m Marshall! I lead the EQNM team, coordinating our Staff and Board of Directors along with our partner organizations. Together we work to ensure that LGBTQ New Mexicans are represented wherever people in power are making decisions that impact us. 

I love that this job lets me be with our community all over the state and bring their voices into the halls of power. This job is about demanding a space at the table for LGBTQ people and I love using the tools we have to carve out that space. 

Our team, along with our champions, fights for an intersectional movement that recognizes all issues can impact the LGBTQ community.

NATHAN, Program Manager

Hi, I’m Nathan! As Program Manager, I work on EQNM’s advocacy efforts, as well as on the education and organizing sides. I support Marshall, our Executive Director, in developing short- and long-term strategies in areas like elections and policy. Additionally, I train and support the organizing staff, providing direction and assistance based on needs and organization-wide goals. Special projects, such as the recent New Mexico LGBTQ Statewide Summit, are some of the cooler things I get to do when they come up. After the 2024 elections, I will be part of the EQNM team participating in the 2025 Legislative sessions, providing support to our priority bills in any and all possible ways. I’m also honored to oversee the New Mexico LGBTQ Roundtable, with the assistance of the Roundtable administrator Aurelia Martinez. 

I love that my role is flexible and that my responsibilities vary. Well, love it and hate it. JK! I mostly love it. I’m always excited about what’s coming next. Since I can be a bit of a hermit, it’s good that I am required to get out there in New Mexico’s queer and trans communities. I appreciate building those relationships and connections.

Our EQNM work culture is very warm. It’s never peaceful since we’re so busy, but it’s comfortable. Employees come first here when they need something, whether that be more time on a project or time off for a crisis. We are constantly encouraged to become better versions of ourselves just via the work that we do every day. 

I want for everyone—-regardless of and especially because of their geographic location—to feel the pride that comes along with being involved in the LGBTQ community. Even though it's easily one of the more-stressful times of the year, Pride month provides glimpses into what a liberated future for queer and trans folks looks like. Thanks to EQNM, I have seen this pride in metro and rural communities alike. Even if the crowds are vastly different, the community aspect is the same.

HAZEL, Community Organizer

Hi, I’m Hazel! I’m mostly working on the ground to engage with the EQNM community. I organize volunteers to participate in actions like texting and phone banking.

I really love that this role allows me to engage with the community. I’m constantly talking with new people who have different experiences and perspectives, which really opens my eyes.

My dream for queer and trans New Mexicans is that all kids can be themselves unapologetically and experience love and joy without discrimination and pain. I hope that the trans kids of the future don’t have to face the backlash I had to face growing up.

RUDY, Brand and Marketing Manager

Hi, I’m Rudy! I design the EQNM brand, including our presence on digital, web, and print. I work with staff and partners to develop and implement social media, ad, and campaign strategies while maintaining the integrity and growth of the EQNM brand.

I love that this role allows me to create designs and plans for important issues that impact the lives of LGBTQ New Mexicans. It allows me to participate in giving back to my community using my design and marketing skills.

I want us to live safe and healthy lives without fear of being controlled and punished simply for being true to who we are as whole individuals.

GAUGE, Development Associate

Hi, I’m Gauge! I plan and implement EQNM's fundraising strategy. This includes writing grants, connecting with donors, organizing events, and reporting on our work. Right now, I'm working on our end-of-year giving campaign, where we share our victories from the past year with donors. 

I love the story-telling aspect of this work! Grant reports, especially, are a lot of fun because I get to share EQNM's work with people who otherwise wouldn't get to be involved. I always learn something new about our programming in the process. I love seeing how my efforts immediately impact the rest of the organization and allow others to do their work without worrying about the finances.

In my utopia, QT New Mexicans will have the choice of when, how, and with whom we share our identities. When I first came out, I felt pressure to be visible and public about my transition to help shift public perception and make coming out easier for future generations. In a future where people are accepting, care is accessible, and laws everywhere are protective, we'll be able to live as people rather than as examples or political tools.

MICHELLE, Administrative Assistant

Hi, I’m Michelle! I provide administrative support to the EQNM team, ensuring smooth operations for all. You’ll find me scheduling meetings, planning strategy retreats, coordinating all the chaos behind-the-scenes of our events, and being there to help our people succeed in whatever way I am needed.  

I love helping to create an inclusive environment for all people, and my role at EQNM allows me to build connections within the LGBTQ community. I am so proud to support initiatives that promote visibility and equality.

I dream of a state where everyone can live authentically without fear of discrimination. I want to see increased access to resources, support services, and safe spaces. I want us to build a vibrant community that celebrates diversity and fosters acceptance.

LAYLA, Communication Associate, Social Media

Hi, I’m Layla! When I’m not doing my school work at New Mexico State University, where I study justice, political philosophy, and law, I’m the one posting on our social media channels. 

I love being able to reach so many people through social media and provide  easy access to resources and information. 

My dream for queer and trans New Mexicans is complete and unwavering liberation, healthcare access and resources, and safety from discrimination and violence.

MAEGAN, Copywriter

Hi, I’m Maegan! I manage EQNM’s blog and anything else that needs wordsmithing. If you have an idea about something we should post about on the blog, please hit me up. 

I moved to Albuquerque in 2023 to get my PhD in Communication at the University of New Mexico, where I’m studying how activists, specifically trans folx, can ensure that we are fairly and accurately represented in the artificial intelligence systems that will define the communications of the future. I love being of service to my community in my new home. Our EQNM volunteers and champions inspire me to embody and bring my non-binary perspective to all that I do.  

I want people of all genders and orientations to incorporate queer and trans perspectives into their own mentality, work, advocacy, and joy.

Inside EQNM’s Candidate Endorsement Process

When it comes to putting champions for our queer and trans communities into public office, we take our role in vetting candidates very seriously. The 2024 elections are just weeks away, so we wanted to take a moment and share what that endorsement process looks like for the Equality New Mexico team. You can expect our official endorsements this week. 

As an LGBTQ advocacy organization, we obviously want to ensure that our elected officials hold inclusive values and support policy positions on the issues that impact us. When we think about queer and trans issues, though, it’s easy to focus solely on the ones that center gender and sexuality—like working locally to protect marriage rights from being overturned by a conservative Supreme Court. In reality things are more complex. For example, housing is a LGBTQ issue because 40 percent of homeless youth are queer and trans. We don’t exist in an identity bubble.

“Members of the LGBTQ Community across New Mexico and our allies rely on us to inform them about elections and candidates and how they can be part of our fight for liberation,” says EQNM’s Executive Director Marshall Martinez. “We conduct a thorough, community-based process that honors and incorporates the realities of queer and trans people everywhere. They need nondiscrimination policies, but they also need access to healthcare, a more just criminal system, and better education. Our lives are multi-issue as queer and trans people, and our candidate endorsements must consider multi-issue frameworks.”

This is why EQNM’s endorsement process is intentionally intersectional.

Our work at EQNM happens in coordination with other progressive advocacy organizations, including OLE, NM Native Vote, and Center for Civic Action. During election seasons, we collaborate with our partners to produce a wide-ranging candidate questionnaire that covers issues like climate change, workers rights, abortion access, and criminal justice. Candidates receive the questionnaire immediately after their filing date using information available from the Secretary of State, where all candidates must file. Our organizations also reach out to them individually throughout the process: letting them know it is coming, confirming receipt, and due date reminders. Candidates who want our endorsement complete the questionnaire through a process of written responses. When their answers have been submitted, anyone who holds a position that would be considered harmful to the communities within our coalition is disqualified. This could look like a candidate being against bodily autonomy, which negatively impacts gender-affirming care and abortion access, or a candidate being anti-minimum wage increases, which harms low-income workers. Candidates whose positions could empower our communities are then sent to a committee for deeper review. The review committee is composed of 12 people who work in different sectors from various geographic locations around the state. The committee evaluates candidate responses and then conducts individual interviews. Based on how these interviews proceed, the committee makes a recommendation to Equality New Mexico’s Board of Directors regarding who should be considered for endorsement. Our Board members make the final decision. 

Check our social media accounts and our blog to stay up to date on 2024 candidate endorsements.

Taking Time to Invest in Real Solutions Isn’t ‘Doing Nothing’

This week New Mexico legislators will gather at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe for a Special Legislative Session dedicated to several bills that purport to address public safety. The bills under consideration center around involuntary commitment, establishing firearm possession as a second degree felony, and criminalizing homelessness under the guise of “pedestrian safety”  (like panhandling) in high speed areas. Instead of making the public safer, however, these bills are rooted in an approach that relies on coercion and punishment. These types of strategies have long been proven ineffective.

Along with 40 other community groups and experts, Equality New Mexico sent a letter to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham asking that this session be canceled. The Governor dismissed our request, stating that we have proposed “doing nothing” in a time of urgency. This is a disingenuous characterization of what we want. What we know is that policies developed by the governor’s staff in the vacuum of her office without community input are far worse than doing nothing, especially when we have been championing effective policy proposals for years that her team has failed to move forward. Our organizations have worked alongside legislators on the causes of homelessness, including the lack of affordable housing and the ways families are priced out of “developing” neighborhoods to make way for more expensive housing. We have proposed creating Behavioral Health Centers across the state, and creating statewide resources for our mental health care and addiction treatment providers to scale up their capacity to help more patients rapidly. 

The Governor is right that the situation is urgent, but this isn’t just about effectively addressing the problems of behavioral health, housing, poverty, and crime. It’s about what kind of community we want to be, and how we want to treat our people. For folks experiencing hardship in these areas, life is already extremely difficult. The root causes of these problems are extremely complex, and usually stem from oppressive structures, social failings, trauma, and lack of adequate resources and support. Even when someone struggling or living beyond mistakes takes on the path to healing and recovery, it is a long process that is never a straight line. We need to recognize this in a broader context and adopt a long view, which is what should always inform any immediate actions we decide to take. 

When we put our values first, we can start to develop effective policies. There are many reasons why the policies under consideration in the Special Session fall short of the mark. You don’t even have to be a policy expert, it’s just common sense.

Many of us have loved ones with behavioral health diagnoses or who are struggling with addiction, or we have experienced those things but have not been able to access those treatments. We know that our communities are crying out for help, crying out for access to the healthcare we need, physical, medical, and mental healthcare. Proper care led by experienced professionals and a strong support system create the conditions that allow someone to heal and define their own future. Imagine having your traumatized child sobered up just enough to stand trial for an incident some Karen decided was a “harm to others,” facing being institutionalized instead of getting real help. Or imagine trying to help your child get the help they need, being put on waiting list after waiting list, and then eventually being thrown in jail because of a mistake they made while waiting for that treatment that you both begged for.  Widely accessible voluntary treatment is the answer. Coercion is not care.

Our neighborhoods, our state, and our country have been devastated by gun violence, and it’s understandable that people want to see something, anything done about it. We have to take a step back, however, and recognize that ‘perpetrators’ are almost always victimized long before they cycle through the judicial system. Creating a mandatory minimum sentence for people with past felony convictions in possession of a firearm is ineffectual. Research shows that additional prison time doesn’t have a deterrent effect, and feeds the destructive system of mass incarceration and recidivism. Community violence intervention programs are more effective at preventing and interrupting gun violence.

We’ve all been traveling in our cars, on public transit, cycling, or walking when we’ve encountered folks who need our help immediately. Whether it's a scorching hot day in July or a freezing day in January, can you imagine it being illegal for people suffering right in front of our faces to stand in the easiest place for passers by to provide a bottle of water or an extra jacket? Homelessness can’t be solved by punishing, fining, and pushing unhoused people out of sight and into jail. Housing solves homelessness.

As New Mexicans, our parents, children, friends, colleagues, and neighbors are dealing with these issues in our communities. Our community organizations, including the experts in mental health, homelessness, addiction, civil liberties, and LGBTQ+ rights who asked for this session to be nixed, are handling the impact of these problems daily. Does the Governor think she can tell all of us that we don’t know what’s best or viable?

We asked the Governor to work with us and revisit these issues more comprehensively in the legislature’s full 2025 session. We have to work together to understand why the meaningful policy proposals in these areas that have been previously proposed were not passed, and how we can create winning legislation that will actually work and endure. We are ready whenever the Governor is prepared to seek input and advice from those of us doing the work on the ground, rather than trying to score quick political points on the back of New Mexican families. In the meantime, we will keep working to address these very real problems. We aren’t —and we won’t be— “doing nothing.” New Mexicans deserve more than a frantic scramble to achieve so-called public safety.

Statement on House District 18, Primary Elections, and EQNM Messaging

Statement on House District 18, Primary Elections, and EQNM Messaging

Recently, Equality New Mexico sent out text messages related to the 2024 election, and we have received feedback from folks who are taking issue with our stance. This blog post provides additional context for our statements. It further underscores why the race in House District 18 is of enormous significance to the future of the LGBTQ movement in New Mexico.  

HD18 has played an important role in New Mexico’s LGBTQ history and will soon be vacated by one of our biggest champions, Rep. Gail Chasey. Queer and Trans New Mexicans have been able to rely on this district for 25 years, and it is essential that whoever wins this seat has our backs so that we can maintain the protections we’ve won and expand on them. That is why we endorsed Marianna Anaya so quickly. We know her work, we know her values, and we trust her to be the fierce fighter that we need for our LGBTQ communities. 

Our organization, acting independently of the candidates we support and as an independent expenditure, recently sent text messages that drew a contrast between the candidates running to represent HD18. The messages referred to one candidate, Dr. Anjali Taneja, as being “deeply involved with the corporate medical establishment.” We hear those of you who have told us that this statement feels like an attack, and not an honest conversation about what is at stake in this election. We apologize for over-simplifying this crucial message. We understand that a single phrase in a text cannot sufficiently substantiate such a claim, so it is our intention that this statement will serve as better background. 

One of the hardest parts of participating in a primary election is that folks who are typically values-aligned have to draw distinctions between each other. That means we sometimes wind up hurting or upsetting people we would, in other circumstances, be uplifting. However, just because something makes some people uncomfortable doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to be said—we just should have said it differently.  

In HD18, four candidates are running in the Democratic Primary: Marianna Anaya, Dr. Anjali Taneja, Gloria Doherty, and Juan Larranaga. EQNM Endorsed Marianna Anaya before the filing deadline because of her long history of working to protect LGBTQ people. 

Dr. Taneja is a board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience. She provides healthcare to low-income patients and their families, and has also been providing gender-affirming healthcare for trans and non-binary New Mexicans for quite some time.

When we sent out messages referring to a corporate medicine connection, we intended to draw attention to Dr. Taneja’s donors and supporters, who we believe are supporting her because of their interest in protecting corporate medicine. For those of us who have been in the fight a long time, we know that we have had to work against these establishment institutions to advance people- and patient-centered public policy in New Mexico. 

We don’t know whether these corporate donations and support will impact Dr. Taneja’s votes if she wins, but the voters in HD18 deserve to know about the connections.

Attacks on LGBTQ people are at a peak, more dangerous and harmful than they have been in decades. While the fight is often about nondiscrimination laws or gender-affirming care, we know our work is intersectional, and we know that LGBTQ people are workers. We are parents and families. We fight daily to protect ourselves and our communities. This is not the time for us to sit back and watch a race of this significance be boiled down to “a doctor vs. a lobbyist” without a deeper understanding of our communities and the types of champions we need in the NM legislature.

We understand that supporters of other candidates are drawing distinctions around Marianna Ayana’s role in reforming the Medical Malpractice Law. This law was archaic and outdated; reform was critical to changing a system that benefitted corporate hospitals and out-of-state players over patients. We created a more patient-centered healthcare system in New Mexico, and we believe Marianna helped protect patients from the profit-focused, big-business healthcare providers. The medical establishment in New Mexico hasn't been shy about its feelings about this, and we will not be shy in affirming Marianna’s and others’ efforts.

Equality New Mexico endorsed Marianna Anaya for this position because we have worked with her and know her values. We also know her ability to get things done. Marianna led alongside us to create a strategy that made New Mexico one of the most legally protected states in the nation for LGBTQ people. 

Let’s be clear; we endorsed Marianna Anaya, a Queer woman of color who has worked tirelessly for the causes and community-driven, values-based organizations like EQNM. 

There is no doubt that there is a healthcare crisis in New Mexico, and it impacts LGBTQ people in unique ways because of the layers of systemic discrimination we face every day of our lives.  We are grateful to Dr Taneja for her work in providing healthcare to folks who otherwise would not have this access.  

However, we can’t ignore the fact that attempts to make healthcare more accessible in New Mexico, ranging from making prescription drugs more affordable to creating a healthcare infrastructure that benefits everyone, have often been stymied by these corporate healthcare industries.

This race for House District 18 is critical to the movement for LGBTQ Liberation in New Mexico.  We will continue to fight to elect legislators we can trust to represent the voices of LGBTQ New Mexicans across New Mexico. Fighting for liberation in systems that were created for oppression never feels as good as it should, and the work is always challenging. We will continue to take this work seriously and aspire to do it in the best interests of Queer and Trans New Mexicans everywhere, even if we fall short at times.  Moving forward, we will only uplift the reasons we have endorsed and are supporting Marianna Anaya, and are making a commitment not to attack or draw distinctions about other candidates in this race. 

More about our reasons for supporting Marianna:

Marianna Anaya is a queer woman of color with a track record of working to uplift our communities, from being an organizer with a local Teachers’ Union and marching on picket lines with nurses to being the leader as our Legislative Advocate working to protect access to Gender-Affirming Care and Reproductive healthcare and strengthening our non-discriminatory laws.  Marianna led the fight to pass our Affirmative Consent Law in New Mexico to help prevent sexual violence on campuses across New Mexico and teach a whole new generation about what consent is and what it is not when it comes to physical relationships.  She was the lead lobbyist on the New Mexico Voting Rights Act, working to protect democracy when New Mexico was the first state to propose and seriously consider this bold step to enfranchise voters across the state in meaningful ways.

Marianna is also the voice of everyday New Mexicans, as evidenced by her endorsements ranging from Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico and Voices for Children Action Fund to Organizers in the Land of Enchantment.  Even NM Native Vote and leaders in the LGBTQ movement like Bunnie Cruse, a Trans Latina who has advocated for the statewide LGBTQ community for decades.  

Marianna was born and raised in the North Valley of Albuquerque and was the first in her family to attend college. She knocked on doors and made phone calls, talked to Legislators, and wrote Op-Eds to support our movement and all of our intersections. Marianna isn’t running to represent the voices of the disenfranchised in the Roundhouse. She is the voice of the disenfranchised in our communities.  

Pride Month 2024: Volunteer Opportunities and Organizing Events

Pride Month is just around the corner and EQNM will be showing up and showing out in events all over the state! We need volunteers. Have you been looking for a dedicated organization that does amazing work to donate some of your extra time to? You’ve found the right place!

We need you for several events throughout the month in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Farmington, and Portales.

Click the links to sign up to volunteer or come by and say hello if you’re planning on attending these events!

We hope to see you this summer! — Nathan & Elijah, EQNM organizers

EQNM’s 2024 Resilience Fundraiser, June 1

What is your FIGHT song? Come to the Albuquerque Social Club to volunteer, hang out with other queer & trans folks, and help fundraise money to help EQNM continue doing what it does best — advocating for our community! SIGN UP

Albuquerque PrideFest, June 7-8 SIGN UP

Albuquerque Pride Parade, June 8 SIGN UP

Santa Fe Pride on the Plaza, June 29 SIGN UP

Santa Fe Pride Parade, June SIGN UP

Farmington Pride in the Park, June 15 SIGN UP

Eastern NM Family PrideFest, June 29 SIGN UP

EQNM Endorsements for State Legislative Races

Equality New Mexico is PROUD to announce our second wave of endorsements for this years Primary Elections.

The reality is that LGBTQ people are still under attack across our country, and while New Mexico has the strongest protections in the country - we aren’t immune to these attacks. Protecting our Queer and Trans siblings means always fighting to elect people who will champion them!

At EQNM we have a thorough vetting process for these candidates, they fill out questionnaires about a multitude of intersectional issues to outline their beliefs and values, and then they are interviewed by our Endorsement Committee made up of LGBTQ leaders from across the state. Then our Board of Directors makes final decisions based on the recommendations of this Endorsements Committee.

These candidates all made promises to stand by EQNMs values, to approach policy from an intersectional framework and to help us continue to engage in our fight for liberation through their work in the Roundhouse in Santa Fe!

The Primary Election is June 4 - our LGBTQ communities need you to vote for these amazing Candidates and Champions!

EQNM's 2024 Early Endorsementsfor State Legislative Races

Equality New Mexic is PROUD to endorse these LGBTQ Fighters!!!

These candidates were selected for early endorsement because they have collectively been proactively leading our fight for intersectional LGBTQ Liberation!

These folks are the real deal. They work for queer and trans New Mexicans—and for all New Mexicans —year round, not just during the Legislative Session.

THE END: 2024 Legislative Session Was a Mixed Bag for LGBTQ+ New Mexicans

It’s been more than a month of competing priorities, behind-the-scenes politicking, and constant committee hearings at the Roundhouse. In the end, the 2024 legislative session will be remembered as a mixed bag for our community. We had some big wins, heartbreaking losses, and we quashed harmful initiatives wherever we saw them developing. Let’s recap what happened, and get energized for the work that lies ahead!

Session began with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s State of the State address, where she outlined an ambitious public safety agenda. Public safety is, of course, a priority for us all, but the governor’s approach was often less about safety and more about establishing the appearance of punishment. Along with our partner organizations, we managed to slow things down enough that really bad ideas didn't get anywhere. The legislature did pass a seven-day waiting period to purchase firearms and banned guns in polling places, taking a couple of steps toward a safer state. Not enough was done, but it's a good start for curbing the epidemic of gun violence in New Mexico. We can now focus on real solutions that involve all the stakeholders and voices from our communities.

EQNM worked alongside the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Providers to pass HB 151, the Benjamin Higher Education Sexual Violence Prevention and Intervention Act. New Mexico universities and colleges will now have to use the affirmative consent standard rather than making up their own ideas of what is and isn't sexual violence. Students will also receive training on affirmative consent, because we can't be expected to follow the same rules if we don't all know the rules to begin with. This victory was five years in the making, and we are so proud of NMCSAP and all whose dedication and persistence codified affirmative consent on New Mexico campuses.

Although the Paid Family and Medical Leave and Dignity Without Detention bills died, we will not give up on fighting for progress on both fronts. The Paid Family and Medical Leave bill brought forth in 2024 was both pro-business and pro-worker—a rarity. It was developed by experts for the past three years to provide New Mexico families with basic protections and help businesses work to keep employees even when they face crises, illness or created families. It included us. It is shameful that a handful of self-professed champions of LGBTQ people and families turned their back at the urging of conservatives who weren't telling the truth about this bill. The Dignity Without Detention loss was a blow to LGBTQ people seeking assylum in the US. We are severely disappointed in the legislators who support LGBTQ Americans, but don't see the reality of how ICE and private prison companies are treating our international siblings when they flee from homophobic and transphobic violence in other countries. We vow to work hard to help our partners who lead this cause get this done next year.

It’s hard to get many things done in a short legislative session; in even years sessions are only 30 days while they are 60 days in odd years. A number of bills we liked simply died for lack of time. We will continue to work through our organizing programs, our upcoming statewide LGBTQ summit, and through interim committee hearings to ensure that these are brought back and passed. 

We thank our EQNM community for staying informed and taking action during the legislative session. Your voices matter. It is essential that our elected officials begin to understand that LGBTQ people and our issues are truly intersectional. They need to see us as whole humans in need of physical and mental healthcare, jobs and employment security, and an effective community-based public safety strategy. For the rest of this year and in 2025 and beyond, we will advocate for legislative sessions driven by communities across the state and our lived experiences—not a top-down approach based on one person's "big ideas." 

We look forward to fighting with you for a legislative agenda that is bold, big, and ambitious.

Legislative Session: Week Four

It’s hard to believe that there is less than a week left in the 2024 legislative session! The tough-on-crime bills that dominated early discussions in the Roundhouse are slowing down amidst skepticism that they will work, although we still anticipate movement on gun safety measures. Until the action ends on Thursday February 15 at noon, we can expect marathon committee floor sessions every day, including this weekend. We’re optimistic that the key agenda items we’ve been supporting along with our partner organizations have a chance to pass. Be on alert for ways you can help let our legislators know that the affirmative consent and Paid Family Leave bills are essential progress for New Mexicans! If you have a minute right now, sign our petition in support of HB151 The Benjamin Higher Education Sexual Violence Prevention Act.

Our EQNM team is immersed in all things legislative. Shoutout to Nathan Saavedra and Michelle Najera (and her boyfriend Hector!) for joining Executive Director Marshall Martinez in Santa Fe today to support our community.

If you’re not following Haley Lynn’s epic EQNM TikToks, fix that now! Haley is covering the last week of the session in her posts.

Affirmative Consent passed the Senate Education Committee unanimously. The bill must now be addressed by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The more noise we make, the better the chance that The Benjamin Higher Education Sexual Violence Prevention Act will become law. Let the Judiciary Committee know where you stand by signing EQNM’s petition. The link is available here and on all our social media platforms if you want to share it.

Thanks to the many champions who helped to push Affirmative Consent through the Senate! We see you working hard for us. 

Paid Family Medical Leave is still in play. In great news, it passed the Senate late last night!

Sadly, the Dignity Not Detention bill we supported died on the Senate floor. As it works now, ICE contracts with local New Mexico jails and private prisons to house immigrants that they solely can decide to detain. These local facilities are not subject to significant federal regulation, making them sites of gross abuses like harassment, hunger, sexual assault and other physical harms. The Dignity Not Detention bill would have prevented the state from contracting with ICE to use these facilities. New Mexico had a chance to put values before economics to ensure that we aren’t part of the torture of asylum seekers held by ICE, but members of the Senate killed that opportunity. Be sure to look up how your representatives voted on this bill, and remember it during the next election.

STAY TUNED

In the frantic final days of the session there will be an onslaught of meetings and news to keep up with about our bills and others. Legislators are continuing to take a thoughtful and deliberate approach to protecting our communities from gun violence, which will surely dominate much of the docket. Keep up with us on Twitter/X for the immediate stuff, and check back next week for our wrap up post. After you SIGN THE PETITION FOR HB151, of course. We’ll finally have answers soon!

Legislative Session: Week Three

Folks, we are halfway through the legislative session! The vibe in Santa Fe is more frenetic and frenzied. It feels like things are happening, and we’re pleased with the progress that has been made on some of our core priorities.

We took a stand to let our legislators know that criminalizing New Mexicans will harm members of the LGBTQ community that many of them have previously fought hard to protect. Tough-on-crime approaches are not the solution! Read the oped Executive Director Marshall Martinez wrote in the Las Cruces Sun.

WINS

Watch out for HB 289! 

Our top legislative priority to appropriate funds to the Department of Health for HIV prevention has some momentum. Keep track of the LGBTQ Health Care Training bill by following us on Twitter/X.  

We continued to support our partners. 

On Thursday we sponsored a Youth Lobby Day co-hosted by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, where 100 young people were brought to the roundhouse to advocate for their communities. We have also been deepening our relationships with the ACLU and Bold Futures to center New Mexican voices in policy.

We spiced up the session by hosting Drag Brunch! Thanks to all who joined us.

STAY TUNED

We’re still monitoring many bills that impact queer folx and our allies. We expect to see some movement on Paid Family Medical Leave, the Benjamin Higher Education Sexual Violence Prevention Act, the Prohibit Library Book Banning bill, and others very soon.  

Only a few weeks left to keep fighting! Let’s stay energized and keep the momentum going.

Legislative Session: Week Two

Our second week in Santa Fe was filled with inspiring community actions, progress on bills we’re rooting for, and emerging details about the rest of the legislative agenda. On Thursday evening, we gathered with Planned Parenthood and other friends to honor the brilliant legal efforts of an attorney who worked fiercely to protect access to abortion and gender affirming care in the last legislative session! We also spent many hours in the roundhouse cafeteria breaking bread and strategizing. This work is tough, but we are fortunate to have lots of friends helping us out!

Our second week in Santa Fe was filled with inspiring community actions, progress on bills we’re rooting for, and emerging details about the rest of the legislative agenda. On Thursday evening, we gathered with Planned Parenthood and other friends to honor the brilliant legal efforts of an attorney who worked fiercely to protect access to abortion and gender affirming care in the last legislative session! We also spent many hours in the roundhouse cafeteria breaking bread and strategizing. This work is tough, but we are fortunate to have lots of friends helping us out!

The Paid Family Medical Leave bill (HB6/SB3) was heard on Wednesday, with many speaking up for its benefits. An alternative Paid Family Medical Leave bill (HB 11) was also shut down. The failed legislation was designed to support only mothers who recently gave birth and did not include LGBTQ familes or gender-affirming care. It only guaranteed 6 weeks of leave paid by the state and employee, not the employer. This is a great development for HB6/SB3 as it continues on in the process, and we are grateful for the members of the House Health Committee who saw beyond this ploy. We believe that caring for our families is not only a human right and a matter of dignity, but it is New Mexico values. It is the responsibility of everyone in our communities to 

Library-lovers can cheer for Sen Harold Pop and Representative Kathleen Cates (D-Bernalillo and Sandoval Counties) as the Prohibit Library Book Banning (HB123)is waiting for a message from the Governor so it can be heard. The bill makes libraries that ban books because of ideological material or disapproval of sexual orientation and other identifiers ineligible for state funding.

EQNM Champions Linda Serrato, Christine Chandler, and Kristina Ortez were incredible advocates this week. We’re not surprised to see them on the front lines, since they have previously supported legislation that helps trans people legally change their names, calls for gender affirming care, and expanding the Human Rights Act. 

STAY TUNED

We continue to await details on a variety of gun measures, as well as a panhandling bill. Our LGBTQ community is uniquely impacted by issues of violence, poverty, and homelessness so we will continue to closely monitor these developments to ensure that our safety and health are not compromised.

Keep up with us and keep the faith as we move deeper into the legislative process! We’ll be back with another update next week.

Legislative Session: Week 1

Fighting For LGBTQ Rights in the Crime-Focused 2024 Legislative Session 

The 2024 legislative session began this week with its customary pomp and circumstance.  There was a buzz in the air among people eager to represent their communities and make meaningful investments of our state’s budget surplus to help New Mexicans for generations to come! EQNM, Planned Parenthood, ACLU, and New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Providers all showed up in force! I was invited to sit on the House of Representatives floor with Rep Kristina Ortez, Equality Champion, alongside commissioners from Taos County and other partner organizations. We were all very excited, especially to welcome the first LGBTQ-identifying representative to the Majority Caucus in the House - Representative Cristina Parajon! 

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham began the session with her Tuesday State of the State address, focusing heavily on public safety, gun safety, and climate change measures. There was a lot of tough-on-crime talk in Santa Fe as the governor referenced dozens of bills that range from increased waiting periods to assault weapons bans. While LGBTQ folks are disproportionately impacted by violence, our community also knows that increased policing and jail time does not make us safer. EQNM will be here in the state capital for the duration of the session, working alongside our longtime partners like ACLU, Bold Futures NM, OLE NM, and the Southwest Women’s Law Center to ensure that LGBTQ New Mexicans and our allies will be represented, protected, and prioritized. 

WINS

Paid Family Medical Leave

The Governor has prioritized the Paid Family Medical Leave Act House Bill (HB) 6, Senate Bill (SB) 3

The bill means that New Mexicans will be able to take time away from work to welcome a new child, face a serious health issue, or support a seriously ill family member. This includes gender-affirming healthcare!

Affirmative Consent on Campuses

The Governor has prioritized the Benjamin Higher Education Sexual Violence Prevention & Intervention Act HB151

The bill means that affirmative consent will be used as the standard when investigating misconduct on college campuses. This is critical because we no longer live in a no-means-no world. We have to make college students feel safe in knowing that only #YesMeansYes. 

STAY TUNED

We will continue to update the EQNM community each week of the legislative session here on our news blog. Next week you can expect more detailed breakdowns of what the crime and gun bills will entail and where we stand, as well as the status of other bills. You can also keep up with developments and opportunities to take action daily on our social media channels. 

Let’s pass paid family medical leave and campus sexual assault safety measures while working to make sure that proposed policies to address crime and gun safety don’t just result in more mass incarceration!