The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) recently released their annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI), and this year, eight New Mexico cities are scored. This is double the number of cities scored in prior years - a change made at the request of Equality New Mexico to include cities outside of the I-25 corridor.
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Equality New Mexico is proud to partner with O.penVape and OutFront Minnesota to bring attention to marijuana legalization and why it is a social justice issue of importance to the LGBTQ community.
Albuquerque, NM – June 4, 2015 – This week, Freedom to Marry launched a bilingual ad campaign that will run in parts of Texas and Southern New Mexico. The ads highlight the fact that “we don’t turn our backs on family,” and that each LGTB individual is someone’s mother, daughter, sister, father, son, brother, friend, or family member.
Being a Queer Chicana growing up in Doña County, where marriage licenses were first issued to same sex couples in the state, I have seen how most of society—especially the Latino community—has continued to evolve when talking about marriage equality and LGBTQ rights. With the latest GALLUP poll showing that 72% of Latinos in the United States support marriage equality (third highest of any demographic in the U.S), I know that it is not any different here in Southern New Mexico.
Equality New Mexico was recently highlighted by the Equality Federation for its intersectional work with the reproductive justice movement.
A new website launched by Equality New Mexico includes an updated business directory and listing of LGBT-friendly businesses in New Mexico.
The site, eqnm.org, offers resources for individuals and small business owners wanting to connect with other businesses that serve the lesbian, gay, bi- or transgender (LGBT) community.
"Es difícil porque tienen que navegar entre los dos identidades y a veces por miedo no saben a quien contactar para ayudarlos", menciono la coordinadora del sur para EQNM, Myra Llerenas."Y por eso nosotros estamos aquí para hacer un refugio en donde pueden venir".
Igualdad Nuevo México, o más bien conocido como EQNM ha ofrecido su ayuda a la comunidad con preferencias sexuales diferentes por más de 20 años. En Diciembre del 2014, inicio un programa que proveé ayuda para los indocumentados LGBTQ a obtener sus derechos, desde ayuda para la legalización de su estatus migratorio en los Estado Unidos hasta la promoción de la igualdad social, y la integración al mundo laboral.
“There’s a lot of power in telling your story—finding your voice,” according to Myra LLerenas, Southern New Mexico Field Coordinator for Equality New Mexico, which is known as the civil rights organization for those identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
Llerenas was one of the presenters at a workshop held at the Center for Gender Equity at Western New Mexico University focused on the multiple challenges of being “undocumented and queer.” A first generation New Mexican who grew up and still lives in Las Cruces, she is a self-described advocate of collective social justice.