At EQNM, we attempt to work from an intersectional framework and believe in centering the needs of those most directly impacted by any policy decision. But what does intersectionality look like in the context of LGBTQ liberation?
LGBTQ people are Indigenous, Black, Latinx, and Asian. We are rural and urban. We are disabled, and we need to access all types of healthcare. We are parents, workers, and students. We experience poverty, incarceration, and homelessness.
The bottom line is that LGBTQ people live in all identities and experiences, and that we are more than just our LGBTQ identities. Our identities are overlapping, or intersecting. That’s why EQNM partners with organizations that aren’t necessarily LGBTQ-focused, and why we care about racial justice, healthcare access, workers’ rights, criminal justice reform, and more. These issues are all LGBTQ issues, too.
We’re rolling out this new Intersectionality Series to uplift some of our partner organizations and highlight how their work intersects with our mission of LGBTQ liberation. The first people we spoke with were Jackie Aguirre and Edgar Cruz of ProgressNow New Mexico (PNNM), an multi-issue organization that centers systemically excluded communities and uplifts their voices. PNNM works to ensure that families and individuals have equitable access to the tools and resources they need to grow, create, and thrive.
One of PNNM’s priorities is reproductive justice. Jackie in particular has experience in reproductive justice spaces. “My goals are to get New Mexicans loud and proud on access to all inclusive reproductive care—everything from education and contraception to abortion care and family planning. I would like to see more New Mexicans unabashedly proud of how much we celebrate bodily autonomy,” she says.
Every LGBTQ person deserves to be in control of their own body, and reproductive justice is a crucial part of that. Queer women, transgender, and nonbinary people can all get pregnant, and therefore are affected by accessibility of contraception, abortion care, and pregnancy care. LGBTQ families need parenting resources, family planning, assisted reproductive services, and more. And all queer and trans folks deserve access to comprehensive sex education and sexual health resources.
After such amazing progress, all of those needs are now more in danger than they’ve been in the last fifty years. This is because of the pending SCOTUS decision over Roe v. Wade, which is one of the current priorities of PNNM. This decision will create a critical shift not just for those seeking abortion care across the country, but also for all of us who want to decide what healthcare we seek—from gender confirmation procedures to PrEP and PEP access, queer and trans lives are also on the line with this decision.
PNNM points out that when people think about reproductive rights, health, and justice, they often think only about women and in turn may erase queer and trans stories, “and that is not okay. So as people in the movement, it is our responsibility to be intentional in our inclusivity, and to keep each other accountable in being inclusive.”
When asked what her favorite thing was about New Mexico, Jackie said, “I love that New Mexico embraces and celebrates their Indigenous cultures. New Mexican communities make it a point to intentionally include the many Pueblos and Indigenous folx whose land we live on today.” To learn more about Jackie and Edgar, check out this video!