On March 24th, The Human Rights Campaign praised the New Mexico and
Minnesota legislatures for their progress on behalf of their gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens. The New Mexico Legislature
has passed a landmark civil rights bill that prohibits discrimination
based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The New Mexico House
also passed the New Mexico Hate Crimes Act, which establishes enhanced
penalties for hate crimes, including those based on actual or perceived
sexual orientation or gender identity. In Minnesota, the Senate
Judiciary Committee pulled from consideration an anti-gay bill that
would have removed sexual orientation as a protected class from all
state laws.
"Great work is being done at the state level to advance equality
for GLBT Americans," said Seth Kilbourn, HRC national field director.
"New Mexico's Coalition for Equality and OutFront Minnesota have worked
tirelessly to ensure that not only are anti-gay bills defeated, but that
proactive steps are taken to advance equality."
The New Mexico Senate passed the civil rights bill Feb. 28. On
Friday, the House passed the bill with an amendment, which the Senate
approved. It is slated to be sent, along with the hate crimes bill
passed Thursday, to Gov. Bill Richardson. Richardson, a Democrat, has
said he will sign both bills, making New Mexico the 14th state to
prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and the third with a
law to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. The state will
also become the 28th to include sexual orientation in hate crimes laws
and the sixth to include gender identity in such laws.
"This is a great victory for all New Mexicans and people across
the country," said Jo Kenny, executive director of the Coalition for
Equality. "Credit needs to be given to the thousands of people who have
worked in this broad-based coalition over the last 12 years, and we are
proud to have bills that include everyone — lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender New Mexicans."
HRC assisted the Coalition for Equality by providing financial
resources and mobilizing HRC members in New Mexico. HRC members sent
hundreds of faxes to legislators through the HRC online Action Center
and the Coalition for Equality used $12,000 in HRC Equality Fund grants
to hire professional lobbyists and educate legislators directly.
While many states are enacting GLBT-inclusive legislation,
Minnesota state Rep. Arlon Lindner introduced an anti-gay bill that
would have removed sexual orientation from the state's discrimination
protections, hate crimes law and the state's definition of a Holocaust
survivor. After House Speaker Steve Sviggum, a Republican, announced
that the bill had no future in the House, the Senate companion bill was
pulled Friday by GOP Sen. Michael Jungbauer, who had introduced the
bill.
"These divisive bills were an insult to the legacy of the state
of Minnesota as a leader in civil rights," said Kilbourn. "The committed
advocacy of OutFront Minnesota through grassroots efforts, personal
contact with legislators and a powerful rally helped unmask this hateful
legislation."
"Such an incredibly mean-spirited bill has no place in the laws
of Minnesota," said Ann M. DeGroot, executive director of OutFront
Minnesota. "We are happy to see that Minnesota legislators saw this
bill for what it is – an attempt to stigmatize GLBT Minnesotans and turn
them into second-class citizens."
HRC mobilized thousands of grassroots activists through its
online Action Center and provided strategic staff assistance on this
issue. In addition, OutFront Minnesota has received $14,000 over the
past three years in HRC Equality Fund grants used to turn out the vote
for fair-minded legislators and to lobby on key bills.
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