Date: Mon, 9 Oct 1995 11:56:58 -0400 From: "David B. O'Donnell" [ Originally submitted by summers@Rt66.com ] The Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Rights in New Mexico PO Box 8640 Sante Fe, NM 87504 Press Release For Immediate Release Contact: Bob Summersgill Martha Trolin 505-244-1824 505-897-4685 summers@rt66.com mojotro@aol.com New Mexico Gay and Lesbian Summit to be held in Elephant Butte Statewide legislative strategy conference first of its kind Gay and Lesbian people from across New Mexico are coming together in Elephant Butte--near Truth or Consequences--October 13 through 15 for a Summit to plan a legislative strategy for the next five years. The Gay and Lesbian Summit is being organized by the Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Rights in New Mexico (The Coalition), to help build stronger connections between Gay and Lesbian people across the state and within rural areas in addition to encouraging Gay and Lesbian people to take a greater part in the political process. Conference participants will be coming from Las Cruces, Roswell, Espan~ola, Socorro, Mountainair, Chamisal, Taos, Alamogordo, San Jose, Farmington, Silver City, Clovis, Portalis, Madrid, Truth or Consequences, Lovington and Las Vegas, in addition to the Santa Fe and Albuquerque areas. The Coalition sees potential for great benefit and fun in organizing New Mexico's first gathering of Gay and Lesbian community leaders. Although the majority of the Gay and Lesbian community in New Mexico is concentrated in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, many Gay and Lesbian people live in rural areas, often quietly, throughout the state. Lesbian and Gay people in New Mexico live in pueblos as well as downtown, participate in the Hispanic and Native communities as well as Anglo communities, and range from cowboys and farm workers to some of the most wealthy and influential people in the State. Many people are unaware that they have Gay and Lesbian neighbors, family members, and friends. Many legislators are unaware that they represent Gay and Lesbian voters. "Politicians from rural areas have told us that they won't support gay positive legislation because there are no Gay or Lesbian people in their district," said Bob Summersgill, a Summit organizer, "We want to be sure that Lesbians and Gay Men come out to their representatives in every political district in New Mexico." The Summit will be the first statewide political strategy meeting for Gay and Lesbian people in New Mexico, and possibly the first in the US. As a rural state, and one of the poorest in the country, New Mexico's vibrant Gay and Lesbian community is unusual in its diversity. Most well-organized Gay and Lesbian communities are in large urban centers. The Summit has attracted the attention of National Gay and Lesbian leaders who hope to repeat the Summit in other states as well as build support for their organizations. Melinda Paras, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force will be attending as well as representatives from the Human Rights Campaign Fund. The keynote address at the Summit will be delivered by the founder of the modern gay liberation movement, Harry Hay. Hay started the first organization for Gay and Lesbian people in the US in 1950 called the Mattachine Society. Hay later moved to New Mexico and founded a Gay spirituality organization called the Radical Fairies. The Coalition has provided scholarships for Summit participants so that no one is turned away for lack of funds. "We don't want to exclude people because of their finances," said Summersgill,"it is more important to have a diversity of people-regional, racial, political and economic-than to only have those who can afford to attend." The Coalition has lobbied the legislature in Santa Fe to support the Non-Discrimination Act (SB 91), the bill which would have added "sexual orientation" to New Mexico's Human Rights Act. In 1993 SB 91 passed the Senate but was tabled in the House. In the 1995 Legislative Session, The Coalition worked successfully in coalition with a broad base of progressive organizations to pass SB 615, Hate Crimes Legislation, by a 75% margin only to see it vetoed by Governor Gary Johnson. The Coalition was successful in passing into law The Uniform Health Care Decisions Act (HB 483) which allows couples in "a long term relationship of indefinite duration" to make medical decisions for each other when one is incapacitated. The Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Rights in New Mexico works through consensus and is composed of organizations around the State: the Santa Fe Human Rights Alliance; The Taos Human Rights Alliance; The New Mexico Lesbian and Gay Political Alliance; Women in Movement in New Mexico; Lesbians for Change; Gay, Lesbian and Straight Teachers Network; and the New Mexican Gay and Lesbian Bar Association. --30-- Bob Summersgill summers@rt66.com http://rt66.com/summers/bob.html