LOCAL

Residents rally in solidarity with Women's March

Duane Barbati
Alamogordo Daily News

ALAMOGORDO – Over 50 women and men participated in Alamogordo’s second annual Women’s March in support of women’s issues in conjunction with the marches statewide and Washington, D.C. Saturday.

Alamogordo’s Women’s March organized by We Trust Women started at the Otero County Courthouse steps, 1000 N. New York Ave., up 10th Street to Founders Park at 10th Street and White Sands Boulevard where several people spoke about women’s issues and the need for their voices to be heard.

March co-organizer Denise Lang said the march shows how many women and men trust women in Alamogordo.

“We trust women to make decisions for their lives, bodies and their families,” Lang said. “It’s a chance for us to get together and voice our support the things that are important. It’s important to be part of the national discussion celebrating all of the wins by women so now our Congress looks more like us, like America instead of one little slice segment of America that Congress looks like and did look like before this last election.”

Denise Lang, in red, leads a group of Alamogordo We Trust Women marchers on New York Avenue in solidarity with the national Women's March Saturday.

She said it’s a chance for everyone to hear our neighbors talk about what’s important to them.

“We’re celebrating that,” Lang said. “Women’s reproductive justice is now more important now than it’s ever been when we see so many trying to take our rights away from us. The right to decide for our bodies what’s right. It’s still happen in many states around this nation.”

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It’s the second year the Alamogordo We Trust Women have hosted the march in conjunction with the national Women’s March.

Seven years ago, the Alamogordo We Trust Women March was started to commemorate the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade. The court ruled that a state law banning abortions except to save the life of the mother was unconstitutional. The decision established a woman’s legal right to an abortion.

Alamogordo We Trust Women marchers cross 10th Street to Founders Park in solidarity with the national Women's March Saturday.

“It’s probably more important now,” Lang said.

City Commissioner Nadia Sikes said the state’s new governor has already working hard for New Mexicans.

“The session has been only in for four-days,” Sikes said. “They’ve already talked about eliminating PARCC testing, increasing teachers’ salaries and already talked about raising the minimum wage. How dare the people who make more than $7.50 an hour tell the people who make $7.50 an hour deserves to make more. I have a problem with that.”

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She said in 1969 New Mexico passed a law making all abortions illegal.

“Please know most women don’t think abortion is a birth control method,” Sikes said. “We think of abortion as something that’s used in situations that are medically necessary. Women use abortion with discretion. It’s their right to do what they chose to do with their bodies. Nobody has the right to tell you what you can or cannot do with your very own body.”

Alamogordo We Trust Women marches display their signs at 10th Street and White Sands Boulevard while marching in solidarity with the national Women's March Saturday.

Erin O. Armendarez said the Women’s March is about women working together with an open heart.

“The Women’s March has been struck by misconception, controversy, name calling and even hatred, but we will never maintain any kind of greatness here in the U.S., in Mexico or in Otero County by yelling and demonizing one another,” Armendarez said. “Greatness is not inspired by persecuting those who are desperate or afraid. It’s not about separating families. It is definitely not about humiliating people with rude and judgmental labels that’s not great. To bring positive change, you need an open heart.”

Alamogordo High School Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) representative Mia Rascon said GSA is an organization in the high school that’s about bringing together people in the LGBT community by giving them a voice.

“Because people in Washington would silence us,” Rascon said. “We are people. Trans rights are human rights. LGBT are human rights. We do not deserve to be bullied for who we are, for who will love and for who are identify is. We are allowed to exist and happily. Our right to life is our right to live. Our right to liberty is the freedom to choose who we are. Our right to the pursuit of happiness is to make these changes so that we can be who we are.”