Headlines from the Granite State
Anti-LGBTQ bills tabled
The New Hampshire House of Representatives tabled two pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation in March—the first aimed against public accommodation rights and school-sports participation for transgender people; the second, a bill to rescind the ban against conversion therapy in the state.
Reported New Hampshire Public Radio, “House lawmakers voted, 175 to 167, in favor of tabling a bill that would put a biological definition of sex in state statute, to differentiate between the male and female sexes in athletic competitions at public schools, in prisons, and “places of intimate privacy,” like bathrooms.
“It’s not the only bill LGBTQ advocates are fighting this session. Another, House Bill 1077, would repeal New Hampshire’s ban on conversion therapy, which was signed into law in 2018. That bill, too, was tabled, 197 to 147.”
Keke’s Dream LGBTQ+
Keke’s Dream LGBTQ+, a retail shop devoted to all things LGBTQ+ Pride, is open for business and thriving in the Mall of New Hampshire. The business is run by Keith Marcoux Jr. (whose nickname is Keke), who says he wanted to open a shop for the community.
He started the business out of a kiosk in the mall last summer. By December, its success led to the expansion into a full retail space.
“The response was so incredible, that we decided to open our own store,” his father, Keith Sr., who runs the shop with his son, told Manchester Ink Link. “We quickly learned once we opened the store, we are the only Pride store in New Hampshire that is exclusively Pride.”
“I wanted to open up the store for the community,” Keith Jr. told the Union Leader.
“Right now, we call this our safe haven and we want people to come here and feel wanted and loved,” said Keith Sr. “We share our story with them and they share their stories with us.”
Victory Fund endorsement
The Victory Fund has endorsed State Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka’s reelection in the Granite State primary on September 13 and general election on November 8.
In 2020, Sen. Kwoka became the first openly LGBTQ woman elected as a Granite State senator, where she’s worked to advance affordable housing, remewable energy and small business recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
She represents District 21, which encompasses Durham, Lee, Madbury, Newfields, Newington, Newmarket and Portsmouth. There, in the 2020 election, she earned overwhelming support from voters, who sent her to the state house with 66.92 percent of the vote.
More: voterebeccanh.com
Health care equality
In late March, the Human Rights Campaign released their 15th annual Healthcare Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of policies and practices around inclusive and equitable treatment of LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees.
In the Granite State, HRC lauded Exeter Hospital for adopting foundational policies of LGBTQ+ inclusion and equitability, and Manchester Hospital was also recognized for working with HRC as a survey participant.
“Every person deserves to have access to quality healthcare, be respected and heard by their doctor, and feel safe in the facility where they are receiving care” said HRC’s Tari Hanneman, director of health and aging.
“But LGBTQ+ people are often subject to discrimination in all spaces, including health care facilities, which leads to members of the community avoiding care and anticipating our voices will not be respected in an incredibly vulnerable environment. The Healthcare Equality Index, at its core, strives to ensure LGBTQ+ people are protected and affirmed by their health care providers and feel safe seeking services,” said Hanneman.
More: hrc.org
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