Sante Fe bans most travel to states with anti-queer laws

The city of Santa Fe banned most official travel to Mississippi and North Carolina in the wake of the passage of laws targeting LGBT residents.

Openly gay Mayor Javier Gonzales linked to a story about Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signing a law that allows many to reject services for same-sex couples on religious grounds.

“Santa Fe will continue the policy of banning all non-essential travel to States that pass hateful legislation that promotes discrimination,” Gonzales wrote.

Recently, a slew of anti-queer bills have been popping up around the nation that are both belittling and heartbreaking. North Carolina made it state law that people must use bathrooms in all public buildings according to the gender on their birth certificate. That includes public schools and universities. That includes all major airports. That includes government-run hospitals, libraries, DMVs, state and county courthouses, parks, and historic sites.

They have faced backlash from big business and advocates across the nation. Georgia almost passed a similar bill but it was vetoed after major film companies put the pressure on the state to kill it.

Santa Fe is not alone. A number of cities, including San Francisco and Atlanta, banned official travel to North Carolina. The states of Vermont, Washington and New York all banned official travel to Mississippi.

The more backlash and negative attention we show these states and the bills that keep us queers down the better. We must stand up for all in our community and we must be heard.