Our first in-person Bernalillo County Central Committee (CCC) since the pandemic drew hundreds of solid Democrats to the UNM Continuing Education Center last Saturday, allowing all of us to rub elbows, hug, meet our new leadership, hear from party leaders, and recognize outgoing Bernalillo County chair Flora Lucero.

Mayor Tim Keller and City of Albuquerque First Lady Elizabeth Kistin Keller started things rolling by addressing our city's progress in the area of equity. Throughout the day, we also heard in-person from State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, from APS school board members and Albuquerque Teachers Federation president, and from Linda Stover and Michelle Kavanagh of the County Clerk's Office. In addition, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse-Oliver, State Treasurer Laura Montoya, and U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez visited via zoom. 

DPBC's Finance team, Communications team, Elections team, and Social Media team all enjoyed due recognition for their unstinting volunteer service. Candidates for DPBC leadership--Marisol Enriquez, Jake Stern-Powell, and Elizabeth Serna--each introduced themselves, as did candidates in the running for State Democratic Party offices.

At the close of the day, outgoing DPBC Chair Flora Lucero spoke movingly and modestly about her experience leading DPBC over the last 4 years--stressing how much she valued the people who worked with her. Danny Leiva, outgoing Vice Chair, also spoke, emphasizing his learning experience on the job.

The proceedings finished with drawings for door prizes--sending lucky people off with two fun piñatas and a pretty selection of potted flowers. Prize or no prize, it was a great day to be a Dem!

Sex and Sexuality

By Lance Chilton

According to Friday morning’s Albuquerque Journal, Nebraska’s legislature has moved along a new bill to ban gender-affirming care for transgender people. New Mexico’s legislature in its 2023 session moved in the opposite direction--the progressive direction--regarding both transgender care and abortion.

In a symbolic gesture, the Legislature congratulated Equality New Mexico on its 30th anniversary of productive advocacy for LGBTQ individuals in Senate Memorial 33. The bill passed the Senate 26-0, but most of the Republicans were “absent” or “excused” for the vote. In addition, there were several substantive bills protecting the rights of transgender individuals and those who provide services to them.

Republican-sponsored bills were put forth to restrict transgender females from participating in female sports activities, to prevent teaching about transgender issues in school, to require parental consent for gender procedures, and even to castrate “certain” sex offenders. These were turned back, and, in their place, House Bill 7, House Bill 207, and Senate Bill 13 all passed. These bills protect LGBTQ individuals against discrimination. They also protect those who provide LGBTQ people with psychological, medicinal or surgical care and prohibit the release of information to out-of-state entities seeking to prosecute them or their patients for accessing such care.

Surveys have shown that a very high proportion of LGBTQ persons have dysphoric and suicidal thoughts (54% within the past year, according to one study). Like many insurance policies sold in New Mexico, Medicaid covers gender-affirming care, including surgery. Studies show that gender-affirming care decreases depression, self-harm, and anxiety.

In a blind study, participants were more likely to identify transgender women as women after facial feminization surgery, increasing their likelihood of “passing” as women. Passing could potentially increase their safety, as transgender people are over four times more likely to be victims of violent crime than cisgendered people.

By Lance Chilton, M.D.

When was America Great, Anyway? No, that first letter is not upside down, but maybe the MAGA phenomenon is upside down. After all, was America great during the slave-holding era? Was it great when pushing Native Americans off their land?

There have been examples of incipient greatness in this country--I’d point to two from the last century that rise above the rest: The Marshall Plan, under a Democratic president, Harry S. Truman, rescued and rebuilt a shattered Europe after World War II. And the President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) provided care and medications to rescue millions of Africans from certain death due to HIV-AIDS, and was begun at the behest of a Republican president, George W. Bush, with advice from the head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

When Dr. Fauci was a new, young, recent hire at the National Institutes of Health, there was no treatment for HIV-AIDS, and young people, mostly men, were dying of infections that overwhelmed their depleted immune systems. Antiviral treatments developed under Dr. Fauci’s direction were quickly rolled out to save many lives in this and other rich countries. Meanwhile, the HIV epidemic hit poor countries, especially in Africa, which could not afford the treatments. Fauci, Bush, and PEPFAR stepped up, and an estimated 25,000,000 African lives have been saved so far.

Fast forward some 20 years, and Dr. Fauci has just retired, after 37 relatively non-controversial and 3 tumultuous years as the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He served in that capacity under seven presidents, Republicans and Democrats, from Reagan through Biden. It was Fauci who became the voice for the evolving science of COVID under our most recent two presidents. Some of that time meant his enduring such inanities as number 45 advocating injecting bleach or taking ivermectin to avoid COVID disease.

Street Safe 24/7

For anyone who missed the opportunity to donate to Street Safe at the Bernalillo County Central Committee meeting Saturday, March 25, the organization, which serves women who live on Albuquerque's streets, accepts donations 24/7 at the Street Safe donation bin outside Quirky Books, 120 Jefferson NE.

Street Safe is an all-volunteer nonprofit that serves women who have been victims of trafficking. Street Safe volunteers “prefer to be where we make a difference — on the street. Talking and laughing with the women we serve. Helping them stay alive.” By listening while giving out supplies, volunteers identify actions that can transform a life, create a new situation, and make possible a fuller humanity.

A list of supplies is below, and monetary donations can be made at Donations | Street Safe (streetsafenewmexico.org).

The Democratic National Committee is seeking help from Democrats across the country-- including in New Mexico-- in turning out voters in Wisconsin.

The DNC Call Crew is making calls to voters in Wisconsin to support the spring election, particularly the state Supreme Court race.

The race is critical. It could decide the future of abortion rights, redistricting and more in the key battleground state.

The current court has a 4-3 conservative majority, but the April 4 election could flip that dynamic to a liberal-leaning majority.

Join the DNC Call Crew for our Zoom-based phone bank! https://events.democrats.org/event/550304/

Make Anytime Calls for Wisconsin Supreme Court Elections. https://events.democrats.org/event/553544/

The midterm election showed us just how important it is to reach younger voters using the communication channels they use. We stepped up to the challenge!

We've created a TikTok channel and we'd love for you to join us there & give us a follow!

There are a couple of very fun videos featuring DPBC 1st Vice Chair Danny Leiva, and Young Dems member Danny Bernal Jr. for you to enjoy, and there's more to come! The images to the left are not clickable from here, so to see the fun content, you'll have to.....

Join In!

Democrats who want to see change and be change are participating throughout the County in making change. Join them! Join us! Subscribe to The Blue Review at the bernalillodems.org website at https://bernalillodems.org/newsletter-subscription. Send us your news too! We want to hear from you.

Contact us by noon on Mondays and Thursdays for the newsletter editions on Tuesdays and Fridays. Write to us directly at news@bernalillodems.org.  You can also reach us by clicking on the “Enter Your Event" link on the website at www.bernalillodems.org website or this link: https://bernalillodems.org/event-entry/Bernalillo Dems.

Public Event Entry – Bernalillo Dems Newsletter deadlines: content must be received by noon Monday or noon Thursday.