CONCORD — Friday, June 8 marked a significant victory for the LGBTQ community as New Hampshire became the 19th state to update its nondiscrimination law to include transgender people. HB 1319 became law on Friday with the signature of Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.
The law prohibits discrimination based on gender identity in employment, housing, and public spaces. New Hampshire is now the 19th state in the country — and final state in New England — to explicitly provide comprehensive nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQ people, according to a press release from Freedom New Hampshire.
Sununu also signed HB 587 into law banning conversion therapy for minors, a dangerous and debunked practice that purports to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. New Hampshire joins 13 other states and the District of Columbia that also have laws or regulations protecting LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy.
Transgender citizens and their families, civil rights leaders, and others will hold a community celebration at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 14 at the State House in Concord to mark the occasion.
“Today, New Hampshire lived up to its Live Free or Die motto. We are elated that elected leaders recognized the need for this law and worked together in a bipartisan effort to get it passed. We created a strong coalition of business leaders, law enforcement, politicians, faith leaders, human rights advocates, and transgender people and their families, who were able to move the debate beyond fear to a place of understanding,” said Dan Pontoh, community organizer for Freedom New Hampshire, the bipartisan campaign that worked to pass the bill. “We want to especially acknowledge the courage of the transgender community who shared their stories and helped educate lawmakers and their neighbors that every person deserves to be treated fairly and equally under the law.”
“Today the governor signed common-sense legislation into law to ensure transgender people in our state are treated fairly and with dignity under the law,” said Devon Chaffee, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire. “It is passed time for New Hampshire to join the nineteen other states nationwide, including all other New England states, by explicitly including gender identity protections in our state’s non-discrimination protections.”
Sununu issued a statement on June 7, after the Governor’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion released a preliminary report, saying, “If we really want to be the Live Free or Die State, we must ensure that New Hampshire is a place where every person, regardless of their background, has an equal and full opportunity to pursue their dreams and to make a better life for themselves and their families.” The passage of HB 1319 is particularly significant because of the broad Republican support HB 1319 garnered. The measure passed the Republican-controlled Senate by a vote of 14-10 and the Republican-controlled House with an overwhelmingly strong vote of 195-129, according to FNH.
This victory marks the first statewide proactive win on LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections in any state since 2016. It is particularly significant because of the broad Republican support HB 1319 garnered.
Legislators in both chambers heard a combined 12 hours of testimony in support of the bill during three public hearings, most of which was from transgender Granite Staters who have experienced discrimination.
The members of the nonpartisan Freedom New Hampshire coalition include Freedom for All Americans, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, Human Rights Campaign, Transgender New Hampshire, and Rights and Democracy New Hampshire.
Freedom New Hampshire ran a robust campaign since 2016 that featured local New Hampshire residents who would be directly and positively impacted by the new law. In addition to Sununu’s support, HB 1319 was endorsed by the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation, House Libertarian Caucus, Children’s Legislative Caucus, and the New Hampshire Human Rights Commission.
The law goes into effect on July 8, 30 days after the governor’s signature. To learn more, visit FreedomNewHampshire.org.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.