Equality New Mexico

LGBT advocacy in the Land of Enchantment

[equalitynm]

We're growing!

Later this month Equality New Mexico is bringing on TWO NEW TEAM MEMBERS!!!  We need your help to meet our final goal to make it happen!

CLICK HERE TO CONTRIBUTE!!!

With our team growing, we're going to have even more impact on the LGBTQ+ community in New Mexico, including:

Making our schools safe for ALL students

Launching our Queer Youth Advisory Council

Coordinating our Rural Communities Social Influencer media literacy program

Community organizing and volunteer recruitment

CLICK HERE TO CONTRIBUTE!!!

[deaflgbtqia]

Rainbow Center presents a crash course in LGBTQ American Sign Language

Students filled the Rainbow Center in anticipation for “GaySL: Crash Course in LGBTQ American Sign Language.” The lecture featured Hayden Kristal, a Deaf, bisexual, Jewish, transgender activist and stand-up comedian.

[huffpost]

Looking back at an unspeakable tragedy – and looking ahead for the communities that will never be the same.

What follows are the names of the 49 victims who died in the Pulse Nightclub Massacre. Rest in power.

Stanley Almodovar III, 23

Amanda L. Alvear, 25

Oscar A. Aracena Montero, 26

Rodolfo Ayala Ayala, 33

Antonio Davon Brown, 29

Darryl Roman Burt II, 29

Angel Candelario-Padro, 28

Juan Chavez Martinez, 25

Luis Daniel Conde, 39

Cory James Connell, 21

Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25

Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32

Simón Adrian Carrillo Fernández, 31

Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25

Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26

Peter Ommy Gonzalez Cruz, 22

Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22

Paul Terrell Henry, 41

Frank Hernandez, 27

Miguel Angel Honorato, 30

Javier Jorge Reyes, 40

Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19

Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30

Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25

Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32

Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21

Brenda Marquez McCool, 49

Gilberto R. Silva Menendez, 25

Kimberly Jean Morris, 37

Akyra Monet Murray, 18

Luis Omar Ocasio Capo, 20

Geraldo A. Ortiz Jimenez, 25

Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36

Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32

Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35

Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25

Jean Carlos Nieves Rodríguez, 27

Xavier Emmanuel Serrano-Rosado, 35

Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24

Yilmary Rodríguez Solivan, 24

Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34

Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33

Martin Benitez Torres, 33

Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24

Juan Pablo Rivera Velázquez, 37

Luis Sergio Vielma, 22

Franky Jimmy DeJesus Velázquez, 50

Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37

Jerald Arthur Wright, 31

[the-movemnt-deactivated20170912]

Study: Americans want police to stop using force on the mentally ill, as long as they’re white

When it comes to police using excessive force on the mentally ill, not everyone gets the benefit of the doubt. 

Overall, Kahn’s study found that people across the board were against police use of force. But when mental health was introduced, opinions were split in two: 

For many high-profile cases, sympathy for mental illness is reserved for the white, according to a study published this month in the Journal of Experimental Criminology.

“When we talk about all of the mitigating factors and additional training, people are mostly thinking about that in terms of white individuals,” Kimberly Barsamian Kahn, the study’s author, said in a phone interview on Monday. 

“But if we look at African-Americans with a history of mental illness, people want police to be more punitive.”

White victims got additional benefit of the doubt, while force against black victims was seen as more justified. Read more (6/6/17)

follow @the-movemnt

[13faeinapenguinsuit]

Relevant to the autistic community. This is why I talk about intersectionality, and how black autistics are always black and autistic, and always face racist ableism. This is why we need to recognize that we cannot be neurodiversity advocates without also being actively anti-racist.

[autostraddle]

Another day, another enormous fuck you from the U.S. judicial system to Donald Trump and the Republican Party; this time in a landmark (and potentially) sweeping victory for trans people. Yesterday, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a lower court injunction in favor of Wisconsin trans student Ash Whitaker, invoking both Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to guarantee Whitaker access to the bathroom that matches his gender identity at Tremper High School in the Kenosha Unified School District. It’s an almost shocking but very welcome decision.

A Huge Win For Trans Kids, Another Judicial F-ck You to Donald Trump in 7th Circuit Ruling (via autostraddle)

[thetrevorproject]

Where Is the Asexual Representation in LGBTQ Pride?

June is Pride Month, a celebration of the history and contributions of the some nine million lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and generally queer people in

“It’s a matter of having access to good information about sex and sexuality” Sara Beth Brooks, creator of Asexual Awareness Week 💜

If you need support, remember that we’re here 24/7 for you at: 866.488.7386 🌟 Text, Chat, TrevorSpace, and more resources at: thetrevorproject.org 🌟

[nonbinarypastels]

[Image: A pastel yellow color block with black text that says “be happy and queer”]

[kny111]

Trauma From Slavery Can Actually Be Passed Down Through Your Genes

You can get PTSD from your ancestors.

“Yehuda, who was born in Israel and lived in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, first tested her theory out in a small control group of her neighbors who had survived the Holocaust. What she found is that the Holocaust survivors had a similar hormonal profile to Vietnam veterans suffering from PTSD. Our brains have a region called the amygdala, which performs the primary roles of processing memory, emotional reactions, and even threat detection. PTSD causes the amygdala to kick into overdrive. It wasn’t until years later, after meeting with the child of a Holocaust survivor, that she decided to test if these traits were passed down through generations, and her study confirmed what she thought.

Sociologist Dr. Joy DeGruy played off the widely accepted term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to create the phrase Post Traumatic Slave Disorder to address the specific trauma suffered by descendants of black slaves. If the holocaust caused immense emotional, physical, and psychological effects intense enough to cause trauma to survivors, then the abject horrors and brutality suffered by slaves is more than likely to have the same effects on black slavery descendants worldwide. Dr. DeGruy’s definition of PTSD falls in line with all the horrific circumstances that can arise out of being subject to extreme anguish and distress.”

[equalitynm]

Find your polling location: http://bit.ly/EQNMVotes #MyVoteNM #MiVotoNM #election2016

[equalitynm]

Equality New Mexico - the state's LGBTQ advocacy and civil rights organization - opposes the death penalty and any efforts to reinstate it in New Mexico.

The death penalty is a costly and unjust system, and its enforcement has not proven to deter crime or lower homicide rates. This reality is why New Mexicans successfully advocated for the state legislature to repeal the death penalty in 2009, making New Mexico the 15th state in the country to do so. As of today, 20 states in country do not have a death penalty.  

During the repeal effort, nearly two-thirds of New Mexicans supported life without parole as an alternative to the death penalty. This repeal has not only saved our state millions of dollars each year, but it has also eliminated the risk of wrongful execution that New Mexico faced when, in 1974, four innocent men were sentenced to death based on false witness testimony and police misconduct.

These are enough reasons to not reinstate the death penalty.

EQNM is committed to restorative and transformative justice practices that treat offenses and ruptures in the community as opportunities to educate, to create accountability that shifts behavior and thinking, and to invest in rehabilitation services and programs that have proven to be more just and effective. Supporting state-sanctioned "eye for an eye" mentality goes against this commitment, and perpetuates a criminal justice system already plagued with police violence, judicial corruption, and inhumane treatment.

This effort to reinstate the death penalty is nothing more than a political ploy to distract New Mexicans from much more critical issues like the state's nearly $500 million budget deficit, our failing education system, and having the highest child poverty rate in the country. Furthermore, it is an offense that this issue has come up in the wake of two police officers being killed on duty, while for decades New Mexicans have fought against the violence and unconstitutional practices of one of the deadliest police forces in the country - the Albuquerque Police Department.

The needs, wants, and vibrancy of our community compel us to challenge structural and individual barriers that limit our self-determination and ability to thrive, and the death penalty is a structural barrier against which we will steadfastly fight and organize.

We encourage LGBTQ New Mexicans, our co-conspirators, comrades, and allies, and the community at large to contact their legislators to say 'NO' to the death penalty in New Mexico. Click here to send a message today.

[equalitynm]

Beautiful day for a #Pride celebration :) Thanks, #silvercity, for hosting us! #blueskies #newmexico #nofilter

[equalitynm]

We are so excited to be at the 1st Annual Silver City #Pride celebration! Pictured here is our awesome Programs Manager, John Flores, with new EQNM Board member JT Perez and his partner Cassie.

[equalitynm]

We are at the APD Forward and @strongfams #NewMexico Roundtable with Community and APD, talking about reforms, bridging relationships, and creating mutual respect.

[equalitynm]

We had such a great time at the Northwest New Mexico #PRIDE Gathering this weekend! @nmgsanetwork @unm_lgbtqrc

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Tyson King offering gratitude to his family for supporting him and his journey. So much love here in #Gallup :)

[equalitynm]

Miss New Mexico Pride, Lady Shug, rollin' on the river and bringing down the house in #Gallup at the True Colors Drag & Talent Show! @nmgsanetwork @abqpride

[equalitynm]

So much fun in #Gallup at the True Colors Talent Show :)