Heinrich Recognizes LGBTQ Pride Month

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement in honor of Pride Month, which is celebrated during the month of June. 

“During Pride Month, I am proud to stand up for New Mexico’s LGBTQ community and work to advance the dignity of all New Mexicans in the United States Senate.

“New Mexico has a long history of passing progressive laws and policies to support the civil rights of our LGBTQ community. We have human rights and anti-discrimination laws on the books at the state level that include sexual orientation and gender identity. And this year, thanks to the hard work of community advocates, New Mexico became one of the first states to protect our LGBTQ youth from dangerous and discredited so-called ‘conversion therapy’ practices.

“Three and a half years ago, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision that the state constitution requires that same-sex couples must be treated equally under the law and have the same fundamental right to marry as other couples. A year and a half later we all celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling making same-sex marriage a right nationwide.

“But there is still so much work to do to move us closer to the fundamental ideal that everyone is created equal, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and must be afforded the same protections under the law. That’s why I have fought for recent victories like the repeal of the discriminatory military policy of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and fought against new threats to the LGBTQ community. And I continue to support federal legislation to help homeless youth and families, combat bullying and harassment in our schools, and to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“We can’t allow the Trump Administration to roll back many of the hard-won victories we have achieved. We can all play a role in making our communities safe and welcoming places for our neighbors, classmates, and family members to live their lives. I remain fully committed to our efforts to push forward in our march towards full equality for every single American.”