2016

Biography

Amber Royster is the Executive Director of Equality New Mexico (EQNM), New Mexico's LGBTQ advocacy organization. Following six years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Master of Public Administration degrees at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. While completing these degrees, Amber worked for CHOICE Regional Health Network in Community Engagement.

Additionally, she spent a year working for the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, helping to conduct practical, nonpartisan policy research and analysis on behalf of the State Legislature. Since joining EQNM in February 2013, Amber has worked to reorient and grow the organization to be a trusted advocate, partner, and ally for broad-based equality and justice issues facing the LGBTQ community.

A committed activist and advocate for intersectional social justice movements, Amber has helped to frame and connect LGBTQ equality efforts to women's rights, worker's rights, immigrant rights, racial justice, reproductive justice, police accountability, anti-poverty, and anti-violence efforts, with the stated intent of continuing to develop and implement strategies that consider LGBTQ people from the "whole person" perspective, and equality and justice from the "lived" perspective. Amber grew up in Albuquerque and has family roots throughout New Mexico spanning six generations.