As we celebrate Pride this month, we reflect on the power of the LGBTQ+ community to expand the norms of society in ways that lead to collective liberation. We also celebrate the work of our community partners across New Mexico who support girls and LGBTQ+ youth of color.
NM is ranked 49th nationally for the wellbeing of girls. A ranking that is both infuriating and exhausting. We are tired of that narrative, but more importantly, we are tired of the oppression and exploitation our communities experience, while remaining under supported and under resourced. Most of the staff and Board at NewMexicoWomen.Org self-identify as women—we were once girls here in NM, are raising children here in NM, and bring those experiences to our work. We know that this “ranking” cannot be separated from the intersecting layers of race, income, education access, environment, and the historical traumas navigated by our communities, and that some girls in New Mexico bear more of this burden than others.
We also know that these statistics do not, and never will define our communities. The young women, girls, and LGBTQ+ youth throughout our state are brilliant, strong, and incandescent. We imagine a just world where our resources and wellbeing are abundant. In the following posts we uplift and share stories about organizations across the state that are working toward this world for girls and LGBTQ+ youth of color in New Mexico.