Advocacy

Anami's work with the Albuquerque Human Rights Board contributed to the City of Albuquerque expanding the CABQ Human Rights Ordinance to prohibit discrimination based on pregnancy (or related conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, and mental disability.

Current policy changes efforts include:

• Calls for a Ceasefire in Gaza and UNM's Divestment from the ongoing genocide of Palestinians.

• Reforms MDC's PREA policies to protect inmates who have been sexually assaulted while incarcerated.

• Amendments to the CABQ Hate Crimes Ordinance to prohibit hate crimes that target unhouse people, transgender people, senior citizens, and veterans.

• Opposition to the criminalization of homelessness, including (Prop.) O-42 at CABQ City Council.

Background

Anami began her advocacy work in 2021, by completing a 6 month internship with the Transgender Law Center working on their Legal Resistance Network, further developing a network of LGBTQ+ resources across the United States. 

In 2023, Anami was appointed to the City of Albuquerque's Human Rights Board, and now serves as the board's Chair. Dass's first project with the board was HRB-R-2023-1, which recommended prohibiting discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, condition relating to pregnancy or childbirth, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and mental or physical disability by amending the city's Human Right Ordinance. The Board voted unanimously in favor of the proposed resolution in September 2023 and elected Anami to the position of chair of the board soon after. The resolution went on to inspire Ordinance 24-5 which was adopted by Albuquerque's City Council on May 6th, 2024 before being signed into law on May 17, 2024.

Anami's focus with the board since then has been advocating for the rights of people experiencing homelessness in the city. In February, R-2024-01 was approved by the board, meaning that the board has recommend the immediate end of the city's use of "No-Notice Encampment Closure", as well as other suggestions. In June, the Board held a public hearing on Anti-homeless Sentiment & Discrimination Based on Housing Status in June of 2024, and began drafting the preliminary findings from the board the following month. Part of the preliminary recommendations included Resolution 2024-04, which recommended amendments to the Albuquerque Hate Crimes Ordinance to include hate crimes against people experiencing homelessness, veterans, seniors, and transgender people.

Dass and HRB Member Samia Assed worked as an ad hoc subcommittee to draft proposal R-2024-2, a resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. The Board approved the resolution in February, and since then Dass has worked toward seeing a cease-fire bill from Albuquerque's city council. Anami has also been an avid supporter of the student protests at UNM who are calling on UNM to divest in the genocide in Gaza.

Outside of the board, Anami has advocated for reform to MDC's PREA policies to protect transgender inmates, and inmates who have been sexually assaulted while incarcerated.  These recommendations were presented during the June 2024 meeting of the Bernalillo County Detention Facility Advisory Board, and Anami was invited to discuss the recommendations at length during their August 2024 meeting.