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Written by WiG
Jan 27, 2012
The Santa Fe, N.M. City Council voted this week for a resolution urging state lawmakers to defeat an anti-gay marriage bill.
Earlier in the week, New Mexico state Rep. David Chavez introduced legislation to enact a constitutional amendment defining marriage in the state as the union of a man and a woman and to deny recognition of legal same-sex marriages from other states.
The measure, if approved by voters in a ballot initiative, also would refuse recognition of civil unions and partnerships from other states.
Santa Fe Councilwoman Patti Bushee sponsored the emergency three-page resolution, which states that the passage of Chavez’ bill would “result in discrimination against a class of people in New Mexico and would infringe upon the human and civil rights of people throughout New Mexico.”
The resolution goes on to state that the anti-gay legislation would force Santa Fe to violate its charter, which recognizes that “human and civil rights of the residents of Santa Fe are inviolate and shall not be diminished or otherwise infringed.”
The city, the resolution continues, “is comprised of many different types of families and cultures including families who have lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members and each family member is entitled to enjoy the same human and civil rights.”
Equality New Mexico also has organized a campaign to persuade Chavez, a Republican, to pull his bill.
New Mexico citizens are being asked to send letters to Chavez stating, “In New Mexico we value diversity, and these kind of wedge issue debates do nothing but hurt our communities, and send painful messages to LGBT youth and children being raised in same-sex households.
“I also urge you to instead focus on what matters most to New Mexicans: education, jobs, and the economy.”
The statewide LGBT civil rights group provided the letter at Change.org petition.
