Headlines from the Granite State
Appealing to SCOTUS
Congressman Chris Pappas, cochair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, along with some 123 of his fellow members of Congress and 14 US Senators signed an amicus brief in yet another Supreme Court case threatening LGBTQ+ rights.
The case — 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, regarding a website designer refusing to create a wedding announcement for a same-sex couple — specifically challenges a Colorado nondiscrimination law; however, it could also be used to weaken public accommodations nondiscrimination laws more generally across the US by providing a constitutional right to discriminate in certain instances against LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups, notes a press release from the Caucus.
“I know as a small business owner that when you open your doors to the public you must treat everyone fairly and equally,” said Rep. Pappas.
“This case threatens the freedom and dignity that all Americans deserve, including LGBTQ+ individuals who still can face discrimination today in far too many aspects of their lives,” he said. “I urge the Court to reject this argument, uphold this nondiscrimination law, and ensure everyone is equal before the law.”
Protest and counterprotest
When the LGBTQ+ youth support and advocacy nonprofit Seacoast Outright led a training for teachers on how best to address LGBTQ+ student concerns at Winnacunnet High School, they were meant by a group of protestors … who in turn were met by a group of counterprotestors.
Reported SeacoastOnline, the protestors brandished signs and called out chants like “Stop the grooming” and “Education not indoctrination.” On the other side of the parking lot, counter protesters held signs like “Teaching tolerance and respect” and “LGBTQ support is not political.”
“There are a lot of gay people in our community, and that segment of the population, regardless of what you have going on in life, is so tricky in middle school, high school and even younger,” counterprotester Amy Hansen, a Hampton selectwoman, told Seacoast Outright. “I think [the training is] an amazing opportunity for the teachers to just have the knowledge.”
The school district’s superintendent, Meredith Nadeau, assured SeacoastOnline that the training would go on as planned. “This training is really about affirming and supporting all children in our schools,” she said.
Through educational programs, annual Pride celebrations and youth support groups, Seacoast Outright’s mission has always been to create a safe space for youth to explore the topics of gender and sexuality in a welcoming and understanding environment.
More: seacoastoutright.org
Marriage-equality support
Nearly two-thirds of likely voters in key US Congressional and Senate battleground states support marriage equality protections to be the law of the land, according to a September report from the Human Rights Campaign.
And New Hampshire voters are leading that stat with 76 percent approval, says HRC. That’s even higher than the national average of 71 percent.
HRC’s figures come from recent Gallup polling plus other national surveys by Navigator, Breakthrough Research and PRRI’s American Values Atlas.
More:
Headlines from the Granite State
Appealing to SCOTUS
Congressman Chris Pappas, cochair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, along with some 123 of his fellow members of Congress and 14 US Senators signed an amicus brief in yet another Supreme Court case threatening LGBTQ+ rights.
The case — 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, regarding a website designer refusing to create a wedding announcement for a same-sex couple — specifically challenges a Colorado nondiscrimination law; however, it could also be used to weaken public accommodations nondiscrimination laws more generally across the US by providing a constitutional right to discriminate in certain instances against LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups, notes a press release from the Caucus.
“I know as a small business owner that when you open your doors to the public you must treat everyone fairly and equally,” said Rep. Pappas.
“This case threatens the freedom and dignity that all Americans deserve, including LGBTQ+ individuals who still can face discrimination today in far too many aspects of their lives,” he said. “I urge the Court to reject this argument, uphold this nondiscrimination law, and ensure everyone is equal before the law.”
Protest and counterprotest
When the LGBTQ+ youth support and advocacy nonprofit Seacoast Outright led a training for teachers on how best to address LGBTQ+ student concerns at Winnacunnet High School, they were meant by a group of protestors … who in turn were met by a group of counterprotestors.
Reported SeacoastOnline, the protestors brandished signs and called out chants like “Stop the grooming” and “Education not indoctrination.” On the other side of the parking lot, counter protesters held signs like “Teaching tolerance and respect” and “LGBTQ support is not political.”
“There are a lot of gay people in our community, and that segment of the population, regardless of what you have going on in life, is so tricky in middle school, high school and even younger,” counterprotester Amy Hansen, a Hampton selectwoman, told Seacoast Outright. “I think [the training is] an amazing opportunity for the teachers to just have the knowledge.”
The school district’s superintendent, Meredith Nadeau, assured SeacoastOnline that the training would go on as planned. “This training is really about affirming and supporting all children in our schools,” she said.
Through educational programs, annual Pride celebrations and youth support groups, Seacoast Outright’s mission has always been to create a safe space for youth to explore the topics of gender and sexuality in a welcoming and understanding environment.
More: seacoastoutright.org
Marriage-equality support
Nearly two-thirds of likely voters in key US Congressional and Senate battleground states support marriage equality protections to be the law of the land, according to a September report from the Human Rights Campaign.
And New Hampshire voters are leading that stat with 76 percent approval, says HRC. That’s even higher than the national average of 71 percent.
HRC’s figures come from recent Gallup polling plus other national surveys by Navigator, Breakthrough Research and PRRI’s American Values Atlas.
More: hrc.org
Monkeypox vax
In late September, state guidelines expanded eligibility for residents to get the monkeypox vaccine. Doctors could start recommending the virus for any of their patients they believed are at risk of infection and for any men who have sex with men who consider themselves at risk, along with anyone recently exposed to the virus.
New Hampshire had more than 5,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine available at the time of the expansion, reported New Hampshire Public Radio, but only some 295 shots had been administered.
Dr. Bobby Kelly, who leads the LGBTQ Health Program at Core Physicians, told New Hampshire Public Radio that opening up eligibility would “do wonders for decreasing the stigma” around the false belief that moneypox is a “gay disease.”
The new guidelines aimed to reach more people potentially at risk than previous subsets among men who have sex with men.
“I also think that it is an excellent move to allow people to self-identify as being at risk for [monkeypox], and decoupling sex, sexual orientation and gender identity from the eligibility criteria for receiving the vaccine,” Kelly said. “Hopefully, as people assess their own risk moving forward, there will be fewer barriers in place.” [x]
Monkeypox vax
In late September, state guidelines expanded eligibility for residents to get the monkeypox vaccine. Doctors could start recommending the virus for any of their patients they believed are at risk of infection and for any men who have sex with men who consider themselves at risk, along with anyone recently exposed to the virus.
New Hampshire had more than 5,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine available at the time of the expansion, reported New Hampshire Public Radio, but only some 295 shots had been administered.
Dr. Bobby Kelly, who leads the LGBTQ Health Program at Core Physicians, told New Hampshire Public Radio that opening up eligibility would “do wonders for decreasing the stigma” around the false belief that moneypox is a “gay disease.”
The new guidelines aimed to reach more people potentially at risk than previous subsets among men who have sex with men.
“I also think that it is an excellent move to allow people to self-identify as being at risk for [monkeypox], and decoupling sex, sexual orientation and gender identity from the eligibility criteria for receiving the vaccine,” Kelly said. “Hopefully, as people assess their own risk moving forward, there will be fewer barriers in place.”
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