New Mexico has seen prominent advances in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights, homosexuality being legal since 1975, and more progress has been made since then, especially post 2000's. Same-sex marriage is legal statewide in New Mexico, as is adoption and donor insemination rights for lesbian couples. Same-sex couples now share in identical rights as heterosexual married couples do. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is banned statewide. Additionally, conversion therapy on minors is prohibited in the state.
The capital of New Mexico, Santa Fe, is often cited as one of the United States' gay capitals; and the state's largest city Albuquerque, including its large metropolitan area, is often referred to as a "gay-friendly" city.
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Legality of same-sex sexual acts
New Mexico repealed its anti-sodomy law in 1975, making it one of the first U.S. state to do so.
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Recognition of same-sex relationships
State marriage laws do not explicitly require married couples to be of different genders and prior to December 2013 state courts had not ruled on the question of same-sex marriage. New Mexico has never recognised alternative relationship recognition schemes, such as civil unions or domestic partnerships. New Mexico recognizes out-of-state marriages that are valid in the jurisdiction where they are contracted. In January 2011, state Attorney General Gary King issued an opinion that valid same-sex marriages contracted in other states "would likely be valid in New Mexico".
On December 19, 2013, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled that the state must provide same-sex couples with the same marriage rights as different-sex couples, making New Mexico the 17th U.S. state to recognize same-sex marriage.
New Mexico has provided benefits to same-sex partners of state employees since 2003.
Adoption and parenting
New Mexico allows single persons to adopt children. The state has no prohibition on adoption by same-sex couples or second-parent adoptions, and as stated, allows those adoptions.
Lesbian couples can get access to IVF and donor insemination without regard to their sexual orientation or marital status.
In June 2012, following the separation of a lesbian couple, the state's highest court granted parental rights to the one of them who had been unable to adopt her partner's adopted child but who had helped raise and had supported the child financially.
Discrimination protections
State law covers hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Since the passage of An Act Relating to Human Rights, which became effective July 1, 2003, New Mexico law protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity "in matters of employment, housing, credit, public accommodations and union membership." An executive order issued by Governor Toney Anaya in 1985 prohibits discrimination in public employment on the basis of sexual orientation.
In June 2012, a three-judge panel of the New Mexico Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a claim against a photography studio that refused to take pictures of a same-sex couple's commitment ceremony in 2006. On August 22, 2013, the New Mexico Supreme Court upheld that ruling in a unanimous decision in Elane Photography v. Willock. It held that enforcing the anti-discrimination provisions of the New Mexico Human Rights Act did not violate the photographer's free speech rights. The U.S. Supreme Court announced it would not consider an appeal in the case on April 7, 2014.
Gender identity and expression
Transgender people are allowed to change their legal gender in New Mexico. The New Mexico Department of Vital Records will issue an amended birth certificate upon receipt of "a statement signed under penalty of perjury by the person in charge of an institution or from the attending physician indicating that the sex of an individual born in this state has been changed by surgical procedure, together with a certified copy of an order changing the name of the person."
Conversion therapy
In 2017, state Senator Jacob Candelaria and state Representative G. Andres Romero sponsored SB 121, which would ban sexual orientation change efforts (conversion therapy) on minors. The New Mexico Senate approved the bill on February 16, 2017 by a 32-6 vote, and the New Mexico House of Representatives concurred on March 15, 2017 by a 44-23 vote. The bill was signed by Governor Susana Martinez on April 7, 2017. The law went into effect immediately.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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