Red or green - it's a choice for chile, but also represented women's choice for reproductive freedom Tuesday.
"The choice between red or green burritos highlights the need to protect choice for women in New Mexico and around the country," said Giovanna Rossi, executive director for NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico. "We will march on Washington in April to sound the alarm that our right to privacy and right to choose are being threatened at every level."
A group of about 50 gathered outside the UNM Bookstore to raise awareness about the march and to have passersby sign a petition to support the Freedom of Choice Act, introduced in Congress last year.
Emily Schrieber, UNM campus representative, said about 15 UNM students will attend the march on April 25. She said Tuesday's event was a little late for trying to get people to go to Washington, but the goal was to raise awareness and let people know they should be able to decide their lives.
"It is probably the biggest march for women's rights," Schrieber said. "It is going to be huge."
The march has been in the organizational stages for a year, and supporters said they plan to join a group of 1 million supporters when they arrive in Washington.
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Some of the state's top women officials attended the event, including Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, Attorney General Patricia Madrid and First Lady Barbara Richardson, to speak in support of women's choice and to hand out the burritos.
"We've got to take notice when we have the two top-ranked female officials in the state joined by the first lady to urge more women to join us in Washington, D.C., for this historic march," said Lynn Gottlieb, a rabbi at Nahalat Shalom.
Denish will lead the delegation of New Mexicans.
"I am leading the New Mexico delegation to Washington, D.C., to be sure our voices are heard and choice is protected, and I encourage more women, men and families to join us," Denish said.
Madrid said that although the security of abortion has increased in the United States, anti-abortion leaders still hold a lot of power. She said the most effective way to reduce abortions is to reduce unintended pregnancies with better contraception and sex education.
Sen. Richard Romero was scheduled to attend, but his wife, Margie Lockwood, filled in. "I believe there should be more women in government like these women sitting here - the right women," Lockwood said.
She said her husband felt if men were having babies, choice would not be an issue at all, and there would not be fear involved.
There are over 200 New Mexicans signed up for the march. Rossi said the organization is trying to help people with deals on flights, so they can attend.
According to a news release, threats to women's rights have never been so systematic and coordinated, and women's lives and health have never faced such danger. It states this is the right time for a public demonstration of historic size.
Rossi said it is planned as a peaceful march and is expected to run smoothly.
