New Mexico’s state legislature recently passed a bill aimed at updating the state’s existing anti-discrimination law to explicitly include protections for the LGBTQ+ community. The Human Rights Modernization Act, introduced in January by state representatives Kristina Ortez and Andrea Romero, along with state Senator Carrie Hamblen, defines gender and sex in state law and expands the definitions of sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill now awaits final approval from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is expected to sign it.
Victory! #HB207 has passed the senate floor 🥳 Thank you to our sponsors Reps. @OrtezKristina, @ARomero_NM, and Linda Serrato, and Sens. @Carrie_Hamblen and @senatorwirth.
— Equality New Mexico (@equalitynm) March 15, 2023- Advertisement -
The new law establishes a broader slate of protections for LGBTQ+ people and prohibits school districts, government agencies, and public contractors from discriminating based on sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity. Additionally, it closes a loophole that has allowed tax-funded entities to discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community in New Mexico.
According to Marshall Martinez, executive director of Equality New Mexico, passing the bill is “a critical step to protecting LGBTQ youth” in the state. He added, “We are finally saying to Queer and Trans New Mexicans – we see you, we support you, and we will protect you. New Mexico will no longer support, or allow tax-payer-funded discrimination because of this effort.”
The debate around the Human Rights Modernization Act in New Mexico largely centered on the rights of trans youth. Democrats and Republicans in the state legislature clashed over whether trans minors should be allowed to use locker rooms and restrooms that match their gender identity. Republicans attempted to include religious exemptions in the bill, but those attempts were rejected.
The passing of the Human Rights Modernization Act is a welcome development for the LGBTQ+ community in New Mexico, especially in the face of the ongoing legislative attacks on LGBTQ+ communities across the United States. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, 420 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in states across the country so far this year, with many targeting transgender youth in particular. The passage of the Human Rights Modernization Act in New Mexico is a positive step forward in protecting the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in the state.
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