# New Mexico, welcome to the family! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 9, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-welcome-to-the-family/167618 "2003-04-09T19:00:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-welcome-to-the-family/167618/1 "2003-04-09T19:00:00Z")
[New Mexico](http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?id=8307&sd=04/09/03) has become the latest state to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The state has also added sexual orientation to its hate crimes law. Both laws become effective July 1. Congratulations New Mexico! ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-welcome-to-the-family/167618/2 "2003-04-09T19:14:08Z")
yippeee!! Anybody know the other states “in the family?” ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-welcome-to-the-family/167618/3 "2003-04-09T20:35:49Z")
Wisconsin (1st ever) New Jersey Hawaii California New York Vermont New Hampshire Minnesota Massechusetts Connecticut Nevada Maryland Rhode Island Plus the District of Columbia. [link](http://www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/iowa/states) ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-welcome-to-the-family/167618/4 "2003-04-10T00:42:14Z")
It would have been sooner if we’d had a governor who’d sign it before now. I like Bill Richardson. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-welcome-to-the-family/167618/5 "2003-04-10T01:36:14Z")
**Otto** , any knowledge on your part as to when/if Oregon is going to join the club? ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-welcome-to-the-family/167618/6 "2003-04-10T02:10:19Z")
…mostly Blue (democrat) states. This issue hasn’t reached Circuit Court level? Does the discrimination issue manifest itself during job interviews (not hired), events like Christmas parties where same-sex folks show up (soon after fired) or denial of health-benefits? ---
**Author:** ![typhoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@typhoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typhoon)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-welcome-to-the-family/167618/7 "2003-04-10T02:27:36Z")
I can’t believe there are still 36 states that allow discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-welcome-to-the-family/167618/8 "2003-04-10T03:06:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by InternetLegend \* > \*\*It would have been sooner if we’d had a governor who’d sign it before now. I like Bill Richardson. \*\* Interestingly enough, the previous governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson, was pretty gay-friendly. But as a conservative Republican (about some things), he just opposed more laws like this. ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-welcome-to-the-family/167618/9 "2003-04-10T05:35:17Z")
Hmmm…neither Illinois nor Arkansas, my two home states, are on the list. I am ashamed. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-welcome-to-the-family/167618/10 "2003-04-10T13:47:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Corbomite \* > \*\*…mostly Blue (democrat) states. > > This issue hasn’t reached Circuit Court level? > > Does the discrimination issue manifest itself during job interviews (not hired), events like Christmas parties where same-sex folks show up (soon after fired) or denial of health-benefits? \*\* Ther’ve been lawsuits challenging anti-gay discrimination but SCOTUS and the circuits have been loathe absent state law to include sexual orientation as a “suspect class” in equal protection theory. The “sodomy” case currently before SCOTUS, [Garner v Texas](http://www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/iowa/documents/record?record=1244), coupled with the Court’s earlier decision in Romer v Evans, may finally fully expand the Equal Protection clause to include gay people. The discrimination manifests itself just as you suggest: failure to hire; firing (see the infamous Cracker Barrel incident where at least 11 people were fired for violating the company’s written “heterosexuals only” policy [now rescinded]); promotion; benefits; harassment; etc. iampunha > [@](#): > > **Otto, any knowledge on your part as to when/if Oregon is going to join the club?** IIRC one house of the Oregon legislature has passed an anti-discrimination measure this session but the other house is holding it up. Is one of your houses in Republican hands? KCSuze > [@](#): > > **Hmmm…neither Illinois nor Arkansas, my two home states, are on the list. I am ashamed.** Illinois has also IIRC passed the legislation through one house but is seeing it held up in the other. As for Arkansas, rub a lamp. ---
**Author:** ![Abe\_Babe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Abe\_Babe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe_Babe)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-welcome-to-the-family/167618/11 "2003-04-10T13:56:22Z")
I know that the City of Chicago and the County of Cook both have anti-gay discrimination ordinances.