Penny Dickson

Transgender rights are human rights. LGBTQ+ students deserve to feel safe, and supported and be their authentic selves-period. Their rights deserves to be upheld and protected. Cruel, discriminatory bills like these which exclusively target LGBTQ+ people, have no place in New Hampshire. There are so many other topics that lawmakers should prioritize that would truly benefit New Hampshire residents. Like all people, when LGBTQ+ youth feel support from their family and community, they have much better health outcomes. In fact, LGBTQ+ youth who have had access to affirming homes, schools, and community events and online spaces reported lower rates of attempted suicide compared to those who did not. In a recent survey, nine out of ten LGBTQ+ young people said their well being was negatively impacted due to recent politics. Despite this, these bills in New Hampshire threaten the mental well-being of Granite State's youth by specifically targeting LGBTQ+ youth and families. We must serve those whop are less safe, more vulnerable, and at greatest risk.