On Thursday House Republicans blocked a vote to reconsider HB 396, a bill that would give license to schools and other organizations across New Hampshire to prohibit transgender people from using restroom facilities or competing in sports based on their gender identity.
The bill now heads to the State Senate where it is expected to pass, as Senate Republicans have offered a high number of anti-trans bills of their own this session.
House Democrats were quick to respond, saying the bill was patently unconstitutional and would have a long life in the courts.
“In the year 2024, House Republicans are demonstrating just how radical and out-of-step they have become by opting to legalize discrimination against transgender individuals. In 2022, the New Hampshire Attorney General released a memo addressing legislation strikingly similar to HB 396, emphasizing that the discriminatory language contained within this bill would not stand up to constitutional scrutiny,” said Deputy House Democratic Leader Rep. Alexis Simpson.
HB 396 is just one of 36 anti-trans bills being taken up in the New Hampshire House and Senate as the Republican trifecta State Legislature continues to mirror national Republican priorities at the state level. As the legislative session unfolds, this issue is expected to remain at the forefront of the state’s political landscape, raising questions about the future direction of anti-discrimination policies in the Granite State.
Trans legislators and activists were dismayed by the decision, which opens the door for them to be explicitly discriminated against.
RELATED: NH Republicans hammer anti-LGBTQ agenda on second day of 2024 session
“Today, a slim majority of my colleagues voted to treat trans Granite Staters as less than human. The first step to rollback trans non-discrimination law is now out of the House and on to the Senate. It’s a dark day for the LGBTQ+ community.” Said Rep. Alissandra Murray, a trans-nonbinary legislator who has advocated against the rapidly increasing number of anti-trans bills in the state.
Linds Jakow, founder of 603 Equality, one of the leading LGBTQ+ rights organizations in the state, released a statement following the vote.
“Today’s narrow vote is a sharp departure from the NH Legislature’s long history of saying transgender people should live free in our state, and it sends a message to all transgender Granite Staters and our loved ones that some think we do not have the right to participate fully in public life. Now, everyone who loves and cares for transgender people must raise our voices to dispel the misinformation and fear mongering that lead to today’s sad and harmful vote.”
