A leading LGBTQ organization in Iowa said community members won't back down after authorities in Idaho blocked a planned riot at a Pride event there. Thirty-one members of a white nationalist group were arrested Saturday after law-enforcement officials got word of the plans.

Keenan Crow, director of policy and advocacy for One Iowa Action, said it follows more heated rhetoric in the past year amid a push by some conservatives to adopt policies deemed hostile toward those who identify as LGBTQ. They feel politicians on the right are fostering a more toxic environment.

"Painting the LGBTQ community with this kind of defamatory brush, it's not a surprise they would then gear up and try to disrupt an event in this way," Crow asserted.

But Crow noted LGBTQ people are used to hostilities and won't be intimidated from celebrating their sexual identity during Pride festivals in Iowa and elsewhere. In a number of cases, elected officials behind policies in question will cite reasons such as religious beliefs, and Iowa recently joined the group of states to approve a so-called "transgender sports" law.

Among Iowa leaders, the group pointed out recent comments by Gov. Kim Reynolds do not help the situation. At the GOP State Convention, Reynolds suggested "elementary school lessons on pronouns" are hurting public education. But Crow countered it is a great place to start in teaching people how to treat LGBTQ people as equals.

"One of those basic elements of respect is getting somebody's name right, their pronouns right," Crow explained. "But if they're being demonized by the top government official in the state as somehow harmful, yeah, that's going to put a damper on our ability to make sure that people are treated with basic decency and respect."

And while Reynolds' comments might not be as extreme as other conservative politicians, Crow added it appears she is trying to ramp up the rhetoric in the current environment. This spring, a Des Moines-area school district issued a diversity audit, which found racial and anti-LGBTQ slurs were a "pressing concern."

New Mexico's LGBTQ community is celebrating passage of the "Respect for Marriage Act" by the U.S. Senate - but also surprised it came about so quickly.

The bill to "prevent discrimination, promote equality and protect the rights of all Americans" is now headed to the House of Representatives for a vote that could come as early as this week.

Same-sex marriage was recognized by New Mexico's Supreme Court in 2013, two years prior to a comparable ruling by the nation's highest court.

Equality New Mexico Executive Director Marshall Martinez has watched as public opinion about same-sex marriage has changed dramatically.

"So, I saw it happen here and I saw it happen at the federal level from the court," said Martinez. "But I don't know that I would have believed, even two or three years ago, that an elected body would make this decision, and at the federal level especially."

Assuming the legislation passes the House, President Joe Biden has said he looks forward to signing it, saying in a statement, "Americans should have the right to marry the person they love."

The bill would not require people or organizations to provide marriage services if the ceremony violates their religious beliefs.

Martinez said last week's Senate vote was a product of decades of activism.

"Organizing works," said Martinez. "And what we know is that gay and lesbian folks specifically were organizing around marriage equality for such a long time, and that organizing can look so different, but the public support increased because of the organizing."

Both of New Mexico's Democratic U.S. Senators - Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan - voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act as the Senate passed the bill 61-to-36.

Nevada marriage-equality groups say the U.S. Senate's passage of the Respect for Marriage Act is a huge step forward for people who identify as LGBTQ+.

The bill would require states to recognize all marriages performed in other states. However, it does not require any state to conduct same-sex marriages.

Chris Davin, executive director of the Henderson Equality Center, said no state should be allowed to disregard legal, same-sex unions.

"It should not be up to somebody else who somebody can marry because of their beliefs, their religion, their ideology," Davin contended. "When do we finally say, 'Enough is enough,' on who can dictate what we can and cannot do as living beings?"

The Senate added language to the bill, clarifying people who run wedding-related businesses and have religious or moral objections do not have to participate in same-sex unions. The bill now goes back to the House for a second vote, where it is expected to pass and then be signed by President Joe Biden.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the vote showed, in his words, "the long, but inexorable march towards greater equality advances forward."

"A decade ago, it would have strained all of our imaginations to envision both sides talking about protecting the rights of same-sex married couples," Schumer pointed out. "No matter who you are or who you love, you too deserve dignity and equal treatment under the law. That's about as 'American ideal' as it comes."

Opponents argued the bill could penalize states which have not legalized same-sex unions. The push for federal protections for same-sex marriage heated up after the Supreme Court reversed 'Roe v. Wade' and took away the constitutional right to abortion.

The LGBTQ community continues to mourn those killed at a shooting at a Colorado nightclub over the weekend. In South Dakota, advocates said such attacks make members feel unsafe at a time when they are trying to have a stronger voice.

Investigators are still looking into the attack at the LGBTQ venue, which happened on the eve of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, and many dignitaries were quick to condemn violence linked with hateful rhetoric.

Jack Fonder, community health worker and community outreach manager for the Transformation Project, said a South Dakota gathering for the Day of Remembrance included a tribute to those killed. He noted community members are faced with a difficult reality right now.

"It's a thin line, right?" Fonder pointed out. "We do need to stand up, we need to be strong, we need to be seen, we need to be visible. But it's scary; not everybody is OK being out because that does, in essence, put a target on your back."

Fonder added he is convinced recent attacks and threats of violence are fueled by conservative politicians and special-interest groups pushing anti-LGBTQ laws. Supporters of the policies cited motivations such as religious freedom, and South Dakota has seen several bills considered or adopted. Fonder stressed his group is trying to educate lawmakers about the need to protect and support the community.

Fonder acknowledged many lawmakers in question have not shown a willingness to engage with advocates, but he emphasized through protests and testimony at the state Capitol, there is a coalition which will not back down, even in a difficult environment.

"We're trying to do as much as we can to be visible with as many folks that are comfortable doing so," Fonder asserted.

Saturday's shooting in Colorado Springs left at least five people dead and more than two dozen others injured. Six years ago, nearly 50 people were killed in a shooting at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub, making it the deadliest attack on the LGBTQ community in U.S. history.