The New Hampshire House of Representatives last week voted 195-190 to defeat a so-called
“parental bill of rights.” The bill would have forced teachers to out questioning and LGBTQ students to their parents.
“Questioning and LGBTQ+ students can breathe a sigh of relief today that schools in New Hampshire will continue to be places where they can safely be who they are,” said Linds Jakows, Founder of 603 Equality. “State Representatives did the right thing and listened to the voices of LGBTQ+ teens, especially closeted teens with unsupportive families. New Hampshire schools must remain places where all students, including LGBTQ students, can live free and learn.” (from a GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders press release)
Reports the Boston Globe:
The Republican-backed legislation would have required schools to disclose information about a child’s gender identity to their parents upon request, unless school personnel could show “clear and convincing evidence” that the child would likely be abused or neglected.
Opponents argued the measure would infringe on the privacy rights of an already vulnerable group of young people, so they celebrated when the House voted 195-190 to indefinitely postpone Senate Bill 272, which means the legislation is dead and won’t come back up for the remainder of this year and next.
Representative Gerri Cannon, a Democrat from Somersworth who is transgender, said the defeat is a joyous occasion for LGBTQ people in New Hampshire and those pushing back against anti-LGBTQ legislation nationwide.
“We’ve been heard in New Hampshire, and we’ve set the tone for other states,” she said. “We need to stand up for the children in our schools. They have rights. Just like all of us, they have the rights to be who they are, safely.
“If a parent wants to know what’s going on with their child from a gender or sexuality perspective, they need to ask their child,” she added.
Two Republican representatives — David Bickford of New Durham and Joseph Guthrie of Hampstead — bucked their party to join 193 Democrats in voting to defeat the bill.
Read the complete Boston Globe story here; read the GLAD press release here.
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