(This guest post on the Project comes to us from Governor Bill Richardson. He's pretty supportive of LGBT equality, and he's right there for ENDA, the law to ban employment discrimination based on sexuality or gender identity. Enjoy!)
I am thrilled that ENDA will finally get the committee mark-up we have all been waiting so long for. It's about time. It's been a long, thirteen year struggle. Together, let's make sure that we do not wait one year more. We should also make sure that the Senate finally passes a decent hate crimes law that protects LGBT Americans from heinous, hate-motivated crimes.
For me, these issues are about basic civil rights. LGBT Americans have been denied their civil rights for too long. And all Americans suffer because of it. I think that Dr. King put it best when he wrote that "Injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere." Until the rights of every American are guaranteed, the rights of all Americans are demeaned.
While the federal government has failed to act year after year, I have taken decisive action in New Mexico. My first year in office, we expanded anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation. I signed into law New Mexico's first hate crimes legislation for acts including those based on sexual orientation. And I issued an executive order providing state health insurance for domestic partnerships.
Other states have joined mine in passing these civil rights initiatives. But too many have failed to act. We cannot allow this injustice to fester in the midst of our good and great nation. We must act now. Let's end the injustice and make sure that Congress passes ENDA and decent hate crimes legislation as soon as possible.