Thursday, June 6, 2024  •  7:00 - 8:30 PM

WHERE: In person League Members only, Conference Room, 6739 Academy Rd NE - Conference Room doors open at 6:30pm

Zoom Webinar (members and general public)

TOPIC: Democracy in Danger, Part One: LGBTQ+ Community and Rights Under Fire

SPEAKERS: Adrien Lawyer, Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico - Director of Education & Co-Founder, and Marshall Martinez, Equality New Mexico - Executive Director

We’ve all heard about “don’t say gay” laws and campaigns to ban books, prohibit certain topics being included in school curriculums, restrict bathroom access, deny transgender athletes from participation in sports, etc. The League has a wide variety of public policy positions recognizing that all people have a critical role in democracy. Two of these positions are particularly relevant to our summer series, Democracy in Danger:

            * certain Individual Liberties are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and these individual rights now protected by the Constitution should not be weakened.

            * all levels of government must provide Equality of Opportunity for education, employment, and housing for all persons in the United States regardless of their race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation or disability. The League supports extending existing civil rights laws to prohibit discrimination against lesbians and gay men in jobs, housing and public accommodations, including protections for health care benefits and marriage equality for same-sex couples.

In celebration of Pride Month, we welcome two of New Mexico’s strongest advocates for the LGBTQ + community. Our panel will discuss how ever increasing threats to and attacks on basic democratic principles are impacting the LGBTQ+ community, and will share their beliefs and experiences to help us better understand that LGBTQ+ rights are human rights. Adrien will offer a much abbreviated transgender cultural fluency overview, and Marshall will address how bodily autonomy and harm reduction are at the core of LGBTQ+ and universal human rights.

Then, we’ll engage in an insightful conversation to help us strategize on effective advocacy efforts needed to safeguard LGBTQ+ rights and promote inclusivity within our democratic framework. Your participation and voice are crucial as we collectively navigate these turbulent times. Let’s stand together to advocate for and take action to combat threats to democracy.

Marshall Martinez Equality New Mexico - Executive Director   Marshall is an organizer and has been a political strategist for multiple candidates and organizations; from fighting climate change with the League of Conservation Voters to working for fair pay and safe working conditions with AFSCME-the public employees labor union. All personal fights because, like all of us, he has lived a multi-issue life.   Born and raised in Alamogordo, New Mexico, to a working-class family and a group of particularly strong women (and a few great men, too!) in High School he worked to educate young people about safer sex. Marshall’s policy expertise focuses on Gender and Sexuality, Bodily Autonomy, and Reproductive and Sexual Healthcare. Marshall also prides himself on his skill set for navigating attacks against our values, in ways that build power for the communities being attacked rather than just winning the short-term fight. Marshall strongly believes in the African Proverb “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”