New Mexico Becomes 14th State To Pledge Electoral Votes To Winner Of Popular Vote

New Mexico has become the 14th state to join a campaign pledging to award its electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote in future presidential elections if enough states sign on.

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is a response to Hillary Clinton's winning the popular vote of the 2016 presidential election but denied the White House by the Electoral College.

Clinton won the popular vote by over 3 million votes, but Trump took the prize with 306 electoral votes versus Hillary's 232.

So far, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state and the District of Columbia have all joined the movement.

According to CNN, "states would not shift their vote allocations until their combined electoral votes equal 270, enough to decide a presidential election."

Podcast: Tyson Beckford, Will & Grace, The Amazing Race And More

Who wants to hear me talk on this week’s headlines?

• NBC, having already given the green light to the Will & Grace reboot, wants even more
• I’ve got a favorite on this season’s The Amazing Race, and I bet you will, too
• New Mexico says “no” to so-called ex-gay therapy
• Nebraska finally scrubs it's anti-LGBT adoption stance
• International supermodel and actor Tyson Beckford talks with me about his residency in Las Vegas as the Celebrity Guest Host for the world famous Chippendales.

All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report. Hit the play button below :)

News Round-Up: April 7, 2017

Tyson Beckford

Some news items you may have missed:

• World famous model and actor Tyson Beckford returns to Chippendales tonight as the iconic male revue's first "Celeb in Residency" in Las Vegas. And he looks ready :)

• Will former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney run for Orrin Hatch's Senate seat next year?

• After denying SCOTUS nominee Judge Merrick Garland any consideration for almost a year, Senate Republicans confirmed Judge Neil Gorsuch to the high court by a vote of 54-45 after utilizing the "nuclear option."

• Nebraska Supreme Court strikes down longtime ban on gay/lesbian foster parents.

• New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has signed legislation that bans the use on minors of so-called "conversion therapy" which purports to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Currently, six other states have banned ex-gay torture: California, Illinois, Oregon, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont.

• Virulently anti-LGBT Republican Gov. Robert Bentley is asking folks who are shining a spotlight on his alleged adulterous affair with a staffer to "please stop now." In a press conference he announced that although he's "struggled" in the past with temptations, he gave himself completely to God last year, so - all good.

Podcast: Scholarships In Honor Of Pulse Nightclub Victims, Colton Haynes Gets Engaged

Hit the play button below to listen to this week's Randy Report podcast.

This week's stories include:

• An Orlando business man is raising money for college scholarships in honor of the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting last year

• An LGBT hater tears down and stomps on a Pride flag outside a Congressman’s office

• New Mexico is set to ban so-called "conversion therapy"

• Disney’s live-action reboot of Beauty and the Beast is on track to break box office records this weekend complete with Disney’s first gay character

• Arrow/Teen Wolf star Colton Haynes got engaged - complete with fireworks

• NYPD Officer Michael Hance, who captured hearts when he spontaneously danced with a Pride parade marcher, passed away of 9/11-related cancer

New Mexico Poised To Become 7th State To Ban "Ex-Gay" Therapy For Minors

New Mexico appears set to become the seventh state in the U.S. to pass legislation that bans health care workers from trying to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of minors.

According to Buzzfeed News, House Speaker Brian Egolf feels confident the measure will pass in his chamber.

This would be welcome news as religious conservatives across the country have blocked the passage of LGBT nondiscrimination protections in recent years.

Senate Bill 121 would ban licensed health care professionals from any “treatment that seeks to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, including any effort to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward persons of the same sex.”

Mental health professionals have widely denounced so-called "ex-gay" or "conversion" therapy as dangerous and harmful to minors. And, it doesn't work.

The bill passed the New Mexico senate on a 32-6 vote last month, and the House Judiciary Committee advanced the bill on a vote of 5-2 last Wednesday.

Republican Gov. Susana Martinez has not signaled whether she would sign the bill into law or not.

New Jersey, California, Oregon, Illinois, New York, and Vermont have all passed similar legislation.

In related news, Nevada Democrats have filed Senate Bill 201 which would ban licensed medical professionals from practicing "conversion therapy."

Bryan Fischer: SCOTUS says it's a crime to be a Christian

Bryan Fischer tries to put his tiresome spin on the decision by the US Supreme Court to let stand a ruling that found a New Mexico photographer violated the state's public accommodation laws by refusing services to a gay couple for their commitment ceremony.

Of course, SCOTUS did not rule that it's against the law to be Christian. They ruled it's against the law to be a bigot when there are public accommodation laws in place.

US Supreme Court denies appeal of anti-gay New Mexico photographer

In 2006, Elane Photography in New Mexico refused to provide photography services for a commitment ceremony for Vanessa Willock and Misti Collinsworth.

The couple sued the photographer on the basis of violating the state's public accommodation laws.  Elane Photography felt protected on religious grounds (because takes photos of a lesbian commitment ceremony somehow means you "approve" the event).  Elane Photography lost it's case at the state supreme court level.  An appeal was filed with SCOTUS.

Today, the US Supreme Court denied the request by Elane Photography. In order to take up a case, at least four Supreme Court justices must agree to consider the case.

That decision means the lawsuit train has stopped in this case. The original ruling stands.

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade:

Had the court taken up the case, justices could have found a constitutional right across the country for individuals to discriminate against LGBT people or refuse services for same-sex weddings ceremonies on the basis of religion.

Anti-gay groups had pointed to the incident as a reason to enact laws in various states to allow individuals and business to refuse services to gay people without fear of reprisal, such as the controversial “turn away the gay” bill recently vetoed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and signed into law by Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant. Other bills along those lines are pending in numerous states — Kansas, Mississippi and Georgia — but have seen resistance going forward.

Santa Fe elects first openly gay mayor

Santa Fe mayor-elect Javier Gonzales

Santa Fe has elected it's first gay mayor - from a field that included a second openly gay candidate.

With his two young daughters and other family members by his side, Gonzales, 47, was greeted by a mob of cheering supporters when he walked into a packed ballroom at the Hotel Santa Fe, many of whom he hugged and kissed as he made his way to the stage.

“This campaign was never about me. It was about us,” he told a jubilant crowd.

Gonzales made history as the city’s first openly gay mayor and will preside over a City Council on which two of the eight members are openly gay women — mayoral opponent Patti Bushee and newly elected Signe Lindell.

He said the race was won by a grass-roots campaign that brought together a cross section of Santa Fe.

“I stand before you humbled. I stand you before standing on the shoulders of people like Mayor Coss and my father and so many who have been before in this position to say that I am ready to accept the responsibility and the honor of being your mayor,” he said, referring to outgoing Mayor David Coss and his father, former Mayor George Gonzales.

Santa Fe is one of my favorite cities in the world. It doesn't surprise me that a place so welcoming to everyone would so easily elect an openly gay family man.

Next time you consider a vacation spot, treat yourself to Santa Fe. The landscape, the art, the food, the people all make the trip worthwhile.

New Mexico County Clerk donates remaining legal fund to marriage equality group

Talk about a great postscript to an already happy ending!

Back in August, New Mexico's Doña Ana County made history when it began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. County Clerk Lynn Ellins decided it was time and the law would allow it. His action emboldened other counties, and ultimately the New Mexico Supreme Court finally decided the matter.

Prepping for the court battle, however, Ellins began raising private donations to help the county cover the cost of its legal fees and the fundraising effort was so successful that there was more cash to spare.

Ellins is now donating that money to a campaign called New Mexico Unites for Marriage Equality, the Las Cruces Sun reports:

Ellins had raised private donations -- via a website and at his county office -- to pay for his defense in a civil lawsuit brought by opponents of his controversial August decision to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.

After paying his legal bill, Ellins estimated a few thousand dollars are leftover. And he said he's giving that money to a campaign called New Mexico Unites for Marriage Equality.

"It's a nonprofit organization that was established the last year to basically protect the same-gender marriage rights," Ellins said.

Ellins' legal expenses tied to the state district court lawsuit totaled nearly $31,759, according to a Doña Ana County news release.

New Mexico Governor Martinez: Same-sex marriage is the law of the land

Unlike the state officials in Utah, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez says in light of the recent state supreme court decision in her state, she won't support or seek an amendment to ban gay marriage in the state.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports:

Martinez said several times last summer — when several county clerks across the state began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples — that she believed state voters should decide the issue by way of a ballot question on whether to amend the state constitution.

“I think what I said before was that yes, the people should have decided on it, but the Supreme Court has decided,” the governor said Monday when asked by a reporter about the issue. “And it’s now the law of the land.”

Asked whether that meant she wouldn’t push for the Legislature to pass a measure like Sen. Bill Sharer’s Senate Joint Resolution 6, Martinez responded, “It’s the law of the land. The Supreme Court has spoken.”

New Mexico's largest newspaper to anti-gay opponents: It's time to move on

In an op-ed in the Albuquerque Journal, the editors urge those still opposed to marriage equality in New Mexico to "move on:"

The reality is that same-sex marriage is here to stay. In the past few years, it has gained wide support, reflecting a changing U.S. society that is more tolerant of different lifestyle choices and a growing consensus that allowing people of the same sex to marry is the right thing to do.

[snip]

The state Supreme Court has concluded that all people, no matter their sexual orientation, should be treated equally under the law when it comes to the right to marry. It’s time to recognize that and move on.

Thoughtful and balanced, you can read the rest of the article here.

New Mexico clerks quit rather than issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples

Roosevelt County manager Charlene Webb confirmed that Clerk Donna Carpenter and Deputy Clerk Janet Collins announced their resignations Friday morning. 

Roosevelt is a rural, conservative county along the Texas-New Mexico border. Its county seat is Portales, a town of about 12,000.

Webb declined to say why they quit. But county commissioners said it was in protest of Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling declaring it unconstitutional to bar same-sex couples from getting marriage licenses.

Commissioner Bill Cathey said the two had made it clear they would quit “rather than be associated with that.  She told us in the past that’s what she would do,” he said. “... I am personally very disappointed in the decision of the judges, and I don’t blame our clerk for doing what she did.”

Meantime, other rural counties began issuing gay marriage licenses following the Thursday ruling, which came after county officials asked the high court to clarify the law and establish a uniform state policy on gay marriage.

(source)

New Mexico: State Supreme Court unanimously rules in favor of marriage equality

The New Mexico Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the state Thursday, declaring in a unanimous ruling that it is unconstitutional to deny a marriage license to gay and lesbian couples.

New Mexico becomes the 17th state along with the District of Columbia in allowing gay marriage.

From the State Supreme Court ruling:

Prohibiting same-gender marriages is not substantially related to the governmental interests advanced by the parties opposing same-gender marriage or to the purposes we have identified. Therefore, barring individuals from marrying and depriving them of the rights, protections, and responsibilities of civil marriage solely because of their sexual orientation violates the Equal Protection Clause under Article II, Section 18 of the New Mexico Constitution.

We hold that the State of New Mexico is constitutionally required to allow same-gender couples to marry and must extend to them the rights, protections, and responsibilities that derive from civil marriage under New Mexico law.

From Freedom to Marry:

"The New Mexico Supreme Court did the right thing today by affirming fairness, freedom, and respect for same-sex couples who hope to share in the joy of marriage.

"The clarity of today’s ruling ensures that the freedom to marry, and the protections that come along with it, are guaranteed for loving and committed same-sex couples in the Land of Enchantment."

From the Human Rights Campaign:

“The court is entirely correct that denying lesbian and gay couples the same rights as everyone else is fundamentally unjust,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Regardless of where you live, all people should have the ability to marry the person they love, and now the legislature must not do anything to turn back the clock in the Land of Enchantment.”

Read the entire decision from the New Mexico State Supreme Court below:

NM Supreme Court marriage opinion

New Mexico: Former Attorney General Patricia Madrid pens op-ed in favor of marriage equality

Former Attorney General of New Mexico, Patricia Madrid, has penned an op-ed for the Albuquerque Journal in support of marriage equality as the state Supreme Court mulls over it's decision.

Ms. Madrid closes with this:

"Some will recall that as attorney general, I stopped the Rio Rancho county clerk from issuing marriage licenses. But that had nothing to do with the constitutionality of same-sex marriage and everything to do with individual county clerks acting on their own without the law behind them.

"I applaud the clerks for asking for a swift resolution by the state Supreme Court of the current checkerboard, where some counties grant marriage licenses and others do not.

"While I’m hopeful the state Supreme Court will grant marriage equality in New Mexico, I believe that is where the issue should be decided. The Legislature should resist any temptation to continue to make marriage a divisive issue.

"New Mexico has always been a land of freedom, of live and let live, and we all try to apply the Golden Rule — to treat others as we want to be treated ourselves.

"To me, that speaks directly to the freedom to marry.

"Marriage has been the cornerstone of my life, and I hope that soon in New Mexico, our gay and lesbian friends, neighbors and family members can have that same mix of celebration and security."

New Mexico: Same-sex marriage plaintiff loses battle with brain cancer

Jen and Angelique Neuman-Roper were one of the six couples suing the state of New Mexico for the right to marry.

On August 21, a judge ordered a county clerk to issue their marriage license. 

Jen Neuman-Roper died this past Friday due to her advanced brain cancer:

Jen and Angelique Neuman-Roper of Nambe were married in August during an impromptu ceremony in the lobby of the Christus St. Vincent Cancer Center in Santa Fe, the same day a judge granted their request and ordered the Santa Fe County clerk to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. They made their urgent request because Jen Neuman-Roper had Stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

They married again in October, this time in a more formal ceremony in Pojoaque attended by many family and friends.

Upon her passing, Jen Neuman-Roper was the first person to be issued a New Mexico certificate of death that acknowledged a surviving same-sex spouse, according to a news release issued today by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico.

ACLU-NM Executive Director Peter Simonson issued a statement which reads in part, “She was a beloved member of her community, a loving mother and wife, and a trail blazer for marriage equality in New Mexico. Her participation in the New Mexico freedom to marry case helped open the door for thousands of same-sex couples to celebrate their love and commitment in marriage here in our state. She will be missed.”

New Mexico: News reports on the state Supreme Court hearing on marriage equality

Dona Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins, who recently began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples

Yesterday, the New Mexico state Supreme Court heard arguments for and against whether New Mexico law does or does not allow for same-sex marriage.

Reuters has the breakdown of the current marriage situation in New Mexico:

Currently eight New Mexico counties allow gay couples to marry, and more than 900 couples have filed for same-sex marriage licenses since clerks in those jurisdictions started issuing them in recent months, some voluntarily and some under court order.

At least two New Mexico judges have upheld gay marriage under provisions of the state constitution, including cases that apply to counties encompassing the state's largest city, Albuquerque, and the state capital, Santa Fe.

Meanwhile, a number of Republican state lawmakers have filed a lawsuit challenging the authority of the clerk of Dona Ana County, which includes the state's second-most populous town, Las Cruces, to hand out marriage licenses to gay couples there.

The debate reached a crescendo when all 33 county clerks in the state joined the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Center for Lesbian Rights in petitioning New Mexico's high court to decide the issue on a statewide basis.

All five justices concurred last month in ordering a review of the case, and the arguments got underway on Wednesday in a courtroom filled to capacity.

Live arguments before the New Mexico Supreme Court for marriage equality

Currently watching the arguments before the New Mexico Supreme Court for marriage equality and whether or not the state has any legal statute that bars same-sex couples from marrying.

Really interesting to watch.

Watch it live by clicking here.  The Court is not expected to rule today.

Gollow the commentary from reporters at the Twitter hashtag  #NM4M.

Kirtland Air Force Base begins recognizing New Mexico same-sex marriage

Courtney Schmelling and Sr. Airman Natalie Throckmorton married on August 28 in New Mexico. New Mexico is currently in flux regarding marriage equality as 8 counties have recently begun issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.  There is no specific law banning marriage equality in the state.

After initially being told 'no', she could not have a spousal military ID card based on her marriage in New Mexico because it was "not one of the states that have statewide legislative or judicial decisions allowing for same-sex couples to marry," Schmelling said that officials at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque changed their position and issued her the card.

Buzzfeed has an email by the American Military Partners Association confirming the change:

“Effective Sept. 3, the Secretary of Defense announced that all military departments will extend benefits to same-sex spouses of military members and retirees. On Sept. 5, military members and their same-sex spouses came into the 377th Force Support Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base with marriage certificates issued in New Mexico. Because civil authorities in New Mexico have only recently begun to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the guidance in hand for Department of Defense identification cards didn’t address jurisdictions in New Mexico. The issue of those ID cards was delayed while Air Force officials sought clarification,” spokeswoman Meredith Mingledorff wrote.

“Based on information received Sept. 6 from Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center on jurisdictions not covered in previous guidance, officials at Kirtland are issuing dependent ID cards to same-sex spouses of military members and retirees with valid marriage certificates from jurisdictions within New Mexico,” she continued.

(via Towleroad)

New Mexico Supreme Court schedules hearing for same-sex marriage license case

New Mexico’s highest court has scheduled a hearing next month in a case that could resolve whether same-sex marriage is legal in the state.

The state Supreme Court on Friday set the hearing for Oct. 23.

The five-member court took the step a day after New Mexico’s counties and county clerks statewide filed a petition asking the justices to decide whether a judge in Albuquerque was correct in declaring it unconstitutional to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

More than 900 marriage licenses have been issued in New Mexico since Aug. 21, when the Dona Ana County clerk decided independently that gay marriage was allowed in the state.

Seven other counties have started issuing licenses to same-sex couples or plan to do that, several in response to court orders.

(via LGBTQ Nation)

New Mexico: And we have county number 8!

Add Los Alamos county to the growing list of counties issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in New Mexico. 

The County Clerk, Sharon Stover, didn't want to jump on the bandwagon, but a district judge ordered the licenses be issued:

Janet Newton and Maria Thibodeau were denied a marriage license last week and they filed a lawsuit that led to a ruling by District Court Judge Sheri Raphaelson that same-sex couples are entitled to be married in New Mexico.

Los Alamos County Clerk Sharon Stover went to court Wednesday to defend her decision, but the judge ruled against the clerk.

Seven of the state's 33 counties are issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples and number 8, Grant County, plans to start granting licenses next week.