New Mexico Supreme Court rules for marriage equality

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force celebrates today’s decision by the New Mexico Supreme Court to grant the freedom to marry to same-sex couples. The court unanimously ruled that 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.” New Mexico joins 16 states and the District of Columbia to become the 17th state with marriage equality.

Statement by Rea Carey, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

“This is a huge victory for New Mexico and for our country’s pursuit of fairness and equality. It affirms what millions of people across the country already know — loving, committed same-sex couples and their families should be able to join in the celebration and responsibilities of marriage.”

We congratulate New Mexico Unites for Marriage and Equality New Mexico as well as the plaintiff couples, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico, the national ACLU, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), the law firm of Sutin, Thayer & Browne APC, and New Mexico attorneys Maureen Sanders, N. Lynn Perls, and J. Kate Girard.