New Mexico

New Mexico introduced both a marriage equality bill and a domestic partnership bill in the 2007 legislative session. Although the marriage bill did not move, the domestic partnership bill passed the House and passed two Senate Committees before the 2007 legislative session ended. While incremental steps such as domestic partnership do provide some protections and responsibilities to same-sex couples and their families, ultimately, marriage is the only status which achieves true fairness and equality.  Because New Mexico’s laws do not prohibit marriage between same-sex couples, there is no impediment to New Mexico same-sex couples marrying in Massachusetts.

WHERE YOU CAN GO TO GET INVOLVED OR LEARN MORE:

Equality New Mexico
Equality New Mexico is an advocacy organization that uses both community outreach and the political process to promote civil rights, to end discrimination, and to further the general welfare of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in New Mexico.

ACLU-New Mexico
ACLU-New Mexico's mission is to maintain and advance the cause of civil liberties within the state of New Mexico, with particular emphasis on the freedom of religion, speech, press, association, and assemblage, and the rights to the franchise, due process of law and equal protection of law, and to take any legitimate action in the furtherance and defense of such purposes.

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LEGISLATIVE STATUS IN NEW MEXICO:

Your Community—New Mexico
Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
HRC presents resources, news, and the current marriage and relationship recognition laws in each state.

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PUBLICATIONS:

New Mexico Census Snapshot
Williams Institute
April 2008
Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, this report provides demographic and economic information about same-sex couples and same-sex couples raising children in New Mexico.

Geographic Trends Among Same-Sex Couples in the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey
Williams Institute
November 2007
Gary Gates at the Williams Institute released groundbreaking research on the geographic trends among same-sex couples. The report finds the biggest increases in Southern and Mountain states and states barring legal acceptance of same-sex couples had larger percentage increases in same-sex couples from 2000 to 2006.

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NEWS:

Study says same-sex couples have increased in New Mexico
Las Cruces Sun News
April 13, 2008
The number of same-sex couples in New Mexico has increased about 35 percent between 2000 and 2005, a study released last week showed.

NM gay people married in MA face uncertainties
Washington Blade
August 3, 2007
The problems that gay couples from New Mexico and Rhode Island face in getting their Massachusetts unions recognized are unusual. "The right wing has carved a gay exception into that tradition of respect and stability," Evan Wolfson said. "New Mexico and Massachusetts are moving in the direction of treating committed same-sex couples the same as any other couple."

NM remains in limbo over marriage
Free New Mexican
July 26, 2007
Gay New Mexicans can marry in Massachusetts, but it may not make much difference once the honeymoon is over and they're home. New Mexico hasn't outlawed same-sex marriages, but it hasn't endorsed them either.

NM same-sex couples can marry in MA
GLAD
July 20, 2007
July 18, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, via the Department of Public Health and Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, issued a corrective notice to all Massachusetts city and town clerks authorizing them to allow same-sex couples from New Mexico to apply for marriage licenses.

Anti-gay bill blocked by New Mexico's House
New Mexican
February 16, 2005
State legislation banning gay couples from marriage was indefinitely tabled in a House Committee hearing. Opponents of the anti-gay legislation said the Land of Enchantment "need[s] to project an image of tolerance."

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