NH Senate Passes Anti-LGBTQ Bills
Advocates Call For Governor to Reject All Bills That Would Set Back LGBTQ+ Rights
CONCORD, N.H. - Yesterday, the New Hampshire Senate voted to advance bills that would take away rights from LGBTQ+ Granite Staters, with particular harm for transgender young people. The bills that have advanced at this point in the legislative session include:
HB 377 would ban the administration of puberty-blocking medications and hormone replacement therapy for transgender patients under 18 years old. While the bill allows for current patients to continue receiving care, it would prohibit treatment for other adolescents, even with parental consent and after consultations with medical professionals. The bill establishes a new private right of action against individuals who violate the law.
HB 712 would ban all gender-affirming surgeries for transgender patients under 18 years old, even with parental consent and after consultations with medical professionals. This bill and HB 377 will go to the House next, which will be asked to concur with the Senate’s proposal.
HB 10, concurred by the House and sent to the governor yesterday, could require educators to “out” their LGBTQ+ students at the written request of parents, rather than suggesting that the parent talk to their student directly. The bill creates a school environment of distrust and fear, rather than one that fosters learning and growth.
HB 148, which advanced to the governor on Thursday, May 22nd, would allow any public or private entity to disregard some of the gender nondiscrimination protections passed in 2018, opening the door to discrimination in public spaces, including restrooms. In 2018, New Hampshire became the first state to pass an update to its nondiscrimination law to include transgender people through a Republican governor and entirely Republican-controlled state house and state senate. An identical bill (HB 396) was vetoed by Governor Sununu last year.
LGBTQ+ rights advocates and public health leaders gave the following statements:
Christina Warriner, New Hampshire State Director for Reproductive Equity Now, said, “Access to health care that affirms transgender young people offers support that allows them to lead healthy lives and become their authentic selves. Decisions about one’s body, health, and future should rest with patients, their medical providers, and their loved ones – not dictated by lawmakers. The anti-trans bills will strip young people of access to life-affirming, compassionate health care, and make our state inhospitable to the trans community, as well as the parents and families of transgender people. With attacks rising nationwide, it is incumbent on New Hampshire to work to protect LGBTQ+ youth – not disproportionately target and bully them.”
Linds Jakows, Founder of 603 Equality, said, “The majority of New Hampshire politicians chose to insert themselves in conversations between young people, their parents, and doctors, by passing a ban on medically necessary healthcare that has vastly improved the wellbeing of transgender young people. Politicians likewise chose to insert themselves in conversations between young people, their parents, and teachers, by passing bills that would require teachers to reveal a student’s gender or sexuality, rather than suggest a conversation between the parent and their student. We control our bodies and lives. Governor Kelly Ayotte must swiftly veto this legislation, which has no place in any state that claims to value individual freedom.”
Bill Blum, Board Chair of 603 Equality, said, “Despite the overwhelming testimony and outreach from Granite Staters against these bills, the votes cast from elected officials in both the House and Senate showed that only some can ‘live free or die’ here in New Hampshire. Authoritarian agendas should be left out of our schools, libraries, and exam rooms. I am hopeful that common sense prevails to protect New Hampshire from becoming the new Florida or Texas of the northeast.”
Heidi Carrington Heath, Executive Director, NH Outright: “We are deeply disappointed at the decisions by the majority of legislators to deny transgender youth in the Granite State access to evidence-based, age-appropriate, rigorously vetted, best practice medical care, and to create an environment that will put LGBTQ+ youth at-risk in their neighborhood schools. LGBTQ+ youth deserve access to all of the spaces and places they need to thrive. These votes cause unnecessary harm to an already vulnerable group of young people. This is not the New Hampshire way. The Granite State values of freedom and liberty mean creating a state where all are seen, valued, and cared for. The worth and dignity of LGBTQ+ youth is not up for debate. We encourage lawmakers and Governor Ayotte to prioritize the health and wholeness of LGBTQ+ youth.”
Chris Erchull, Senior Staff Attorney, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law), said, “The legislature’s relentless wave of attacks on the rights of LGBTQ+ Granite Staters—particularly transgender residents and their families—is unprecedented and unwarranted government overreach. LGBTQ+ people are our friends, neighbors, and co-workers who simply want to live in peace. Legislators should be working to meet the real needs of their constituents instead of joining the Trump administration’s war on a small, vulnerable group of Americans. These officials elected to serve the people of New Hampshire are sledgehammering the State’s constitutional promises of liberty, independence, and the right to live free from governmental intrusion. GLAD Law will continue to work with our allies and use every legal tool at our disposal to ensure that all New Hampshire residents—including transgender Granite Staters—can live authentically and freely.”
Courtney Reed, Policy Advocate at the ACLU of New Hampshire, said, "It is clear that these bills would cause harm, permit discrimination, and heighten cruelty and harassment in our communities - and they have no place in New Hampshire. Every Granite Stater deserves the freedom to control their bodies and to seek the healthcare they need free from government intrusion – period. These merciless, cruel, and endless legislative attacks against LGBTQ+ Granite Staters need to end."
Louise Spencer, Co-Founder, Kent Street Coalition, said, “The sheer number of bills this session calling for discriminatory treatment of LGBTQ+ people, and transgender youth in particular, is in and of itself harmful to those who are just trying to live their lives with the same expectations of privacy, freedom and dignity accorded every other Granite Stater. That a majority in both the House and Senate would vote this week to once again support bills denying our neighbors, friends, and families the equal protection of the law is a betrayal not only of what New Hampshire stands for, but more importantly, a betrayal of individuals and communities that deserve our whole-hearted support and respect.
Sandi Denoncour, Executive Director of Lovering Health Center, said, “Lovering Health Center proudly provides gender affirming care to adults, many of whom started their journey before age 18. We believe them when they tell us that access to gender affirming care saved their life by allowing them to live authentically. LGBTQ+ youth, and their families, deserve access to the evidence-based health care they need to be healthy, happy, and affirmed. New Hampshire’s non-discrimination laws are essential protections. There is no reasonable explanation for rolling them back with LGBTQ+ youth and their families as targets for criminalization.”
Jinelle Hall, Executive Director of Equality Health Center, said, “The litany of harmful legislation being proposed to strip LGBTQ youth of freedom to be and pursue their authentic selves is beyond comprehension. Everyone - elected official or otherwise - should understand the foundational responsibility we have to support youth in their path to actualize as happy and healthy people who are worthy of evidence-based healthcare, support from their community, and autonomy of their physical selves. Equality Health Center is a proud provider of gender affirming care and HRT for adults, and compassionate behavioral healthcare for all ages and all genders."
Liz Canada, Advocacy Director of Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, said, “Families and providers should make decisions about health care, not politicians. As these bills progress, we urge lawmakers and Governor Ayotte to put the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth and their families ahead of political agendas.”
###
