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.