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.

Advocates for Michigan's LGBTQ community are calling lawmakers' move to expand the state's civil rights law to include them a victory that's "been a long time coming."

The measure, Senate Bill 4, turns a series of court rulings into codified law, giving protections from bias based on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Tracy Hall, executive director of OutFront Kalamazoo, a community resource center, said that because the state's Democrat-controlled Legislature put the law on the books, LGBTQ rights can't easily be undone.

"We had a court ruling, we had local ordinances - but now, we actually have field protections in our state statute that do protect us when it comes to hiring and firing, public accommodations and housing," she said, "and these are big things."

Michigan joins 22 other states and Washington, D.C., to extend basic civil rights to the LGBTQ community. It was approved 64-45 in the House, and immediately signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Most but not all Republicans opposed the legislation, calling it a threat to religious freedom.

Halls said previous attempts to pass LGBTQ-rights legislation have stalled in Republican-controlled legislatures. She said the rising conservative tide that is pushing anti-transgender measures in other states makes the new Michigan law even more important.

"It's a huge deal, and especially in a time where you see anti-LGBTQ laws all over the country," she said. "So, for Michigan to stand out like that, it means the world to me."

According to Equality Michigan, more than 30 groups across the state advocate for the rights of LGBTQ citizens. Hall said her group, OutFront Kalamazoo, serves as both a gathering place and a community resource.

"We are an LGBTQIA community/resource center, and we provide programs, services, support groups, we put on events," she said. "I try to, and I think our team tries to, make this that 'safe space.'"

A new study from the University of New Hampshire found New England's LGBTQ+ residents experience higher rates of food insufficiency, the measure of whether a household generally has enough food to eat, than other people.

Research shows the overall food insufficiency rate in New England is more than 7%, yet it is nearly double for LGBTQ+ residents, and nearly triple for transgender people.

Isaac Leslie, extension assistant professor of community development at the University of Vermont who was a research associate at the University of New Hampshire, said while New England has a lower food insufficiency rate compared to the rest of the U.S., the study showed not everyone has the same advantage.

"Poverty and systemic discrimination are really at the center of the story here," Leslie asserted. "You see that reflected in food insufficiency rates."

Leslie noted researchers used data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, which in 2021, became one of the first national surveys to include measures of gender identity and sexuality.

LGBTQ+ New Englanders of color experience even higher rates of food insufficiency, with one in three Black transgender New Englanders not having enough food to eat in the past week. Researchers found LGBTQ+ people may be eligible for food assistance programs but feel unsafe providing detailed documents to enroll.

Leslie pointed out there are clear examples of systemic discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, even in progressive New England.

"And you don't find those until you start looking underneath the hood at rates like food insufficiency," Leslie explained.

Leslie added the findings suggest policymakers should address the ways in which racism and discrimination create an ongoing food crisis for LGBTQ+ New Englanders, especially those who are people of color. The findings are published in the journal Agriculture and Human Values.

Both chambers of the Maryland legislature have passed a bill that would require the state's Medicaid program to cover gender affirming care.

While some gender affirming treatments are currently covered by Medicaid, the Trans Health Equity Act would expand coverage to all forms of gender affirming treatment that are consistent with current clinical standards.

Last year - the Williams Institute at the University of California, LA - estimated there are 24,000 Transgender Marylanders.

The legislation was introduced in the House by state Del. Anne Kaiser - D-Montgomery County - and she said she sees it as telling Trans Marylanders they are part of the community.

"I like to think," said Kaiser, "that this legislation tells trans Marylanders, as I said at the hearing on Valentine's Day, 'We love you, you are welcome here, you are our neighbors, you're our friends, you belong, you're welcome' - which is obviously quite different from what is happening in some other states."

An amendment put forward on Friday by state Del. Mark Fisher - R-Calvert County - would have prevented Medicaid from providing gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers, to qualified patients under age 18.

Supporters of the amendment believe the science surrounding puberty blockers is not settled, but the amendment was rejected after an hour of debate.

The current standard of care in medicine including in Maryland allows children to access gender affirming care with the approval of parents and doctors.

Each bill will now be considered by the opposite chamber before going to the governor.

A similar bill passed the Senate last year but failed in the House. This time around supporters include Gov. Wes Moore - who, Kaiser said, is in favor of the measure.

"The governor spoke in favor of this legislation by name during the campaign and put out supportive documentation at the time," said Kaiser. "I spoke with his staff at the time and so we've connected with him now he's ready to sign the bill into law. "

If signed into law, the bill would take effect October 1.





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