NH Transgender Rights, Gay Conversion Ban Bills Approved

CONCORD, NH — New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu this week approved new laws banning gender discrimination and gay conversion therapy. The actions came on the heels of a government report that found New Hampshire is "behind other states" regarding inclusion and diversity.

"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," Sununu said in a statement.

Sununu signed the bills Friday and they take effect immediately. The transgender rights bill specifically applies to housing and employment while the gay conversion therapy ban bill made New Hampshire the 14th state to ban the practice.

The New Hampshire Log Cabin Republicans praised Sununu for "strength and leadership" in approving the laws.

"At the end of (a) difficult week that has highlighted the rise of suicide in our nation, we want to emphasize the importance of these laws to the health of our citizens, especially young people struggling with their sexual identity," said Jennifer Horn and Doug Palardy, co-chairs of the log cabin organization.

Devon Chaffee, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, called the transgender bill "common-sense legislation into law to ensure transgender people in our state are treated fairly and with dignity under the law ... 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.”

The conservative political group Cornerstone Action opposed the measures, which Executive Director Shannon McGinley called "unwanted, socially harmful ideas into a law that directly opposes government’s constitutional role to serve the 'general good.'"

The report issued by Sununu's Council on Diversity and Inclusion this week recommended state officials "examine how they observe and celebrate the identities, cultures, holidays and events of communities that have historically been underrepresented in New Hampshire, and identify ways to bring visibility ... and public acknowledgement and recognition to those communities and individuals."

Photo: New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu. (Credit: governor.nh.gov)