On Tuesday, the New Hampshire House will be hearing testimony for SB272. This incredibly dangerous piece of hostile legislation unfairly targets and discriminates against our NH youth. This kind of legislation has no place in the Granite State.
This bill is incredibly detrimental to the health and security of LGBTQ+ students. It could
lead to the forcible outing of students by mandating that teachers and counselors disclose confidential records with no regard for whether it puts a student in harm’s way. It also specifically singles out transgender youth for a special tier of surveillance in schools, violating students’ privacy rights.
LGBTQIA+ youth should not have to fear being themselves at school. Regardless of their gender, youth should have the freedom to be open (or not) about their identity – this is particularly important because the sad reality is that not all students have that kind of safety at home and, in many cases, teachers become aware of this because a student directly tells them, and asks for confidentiality.
This bill harms already-vulnerable children, children who need safe and trusted adults. If New Hampshire passes this dangerous bill, our NH youth will not be able to turn to their teachers or other school staff as trusted adults.
As Megan Tuttle, President of the NEA-New Hampshire, said: “Parents and teachers in New Hampshire have been working together for a long time to ensure our schools consistently provide what’s best for our children and their education. SB 272 disregards these well-tended relationships, substituting them with rules that throw confidentiality out the window, and forces teachers to undermine the trust that creates a safe and healthy learning environment. This bill makes our schools and classrooms less safe for every student, risks their mental and physical health and well-being, and undermines the state’s obligation to provide an adequate and inclusive education for all students.”
This bill is advancing in part due to support from our State Senator, Dan Innis, who is voting in favor of legislation that directly harms LGBTQIA+ youth – youth who he, as a member of the Log Cabin Republicans, claims to advocate for.
Kearsarge Area Pride strongly condemns his actions, and we would advocate that you email or call Senator Innis to let him know that the LGBTQIA+ community is holding him accountable.
Here are ways you can oppose this bill:
- Join the 603 Equality visibility event on 4/18/23 at 9:00 am
- Sign in to oppose the bill (choose the House Education Committee)
- Send an email to the Education Committee (sample text below)
- Send an email to your house representatives (sample text below)
Email template
How to send this email:
- Find Your State Representative.
- Follow the link to their page and identify their email address.
- Use their email address and the template below to send your email.
Dear Representative [Find Your State Representative],
My name is [Your Name], and I am a constituent living in [Your Town]. Your constituents want you to oppose Bill SB 272, the so-called “parental bill of rights” bill. This bill passed in the Senate 14-10 despite overwhelming opposition from constituents.
Parents have many rights, and school districts have notified them about their rights. Across the country, a small anti-LGBTQ+ minority is using the phrase “parental rights” to strategically pit parents and teachers against each other, and selling a false narrative that teachers want to hide information from parents.
The sad reality is that in some cases, a student isn’t safe at home—and many times, teachers become aware of this because a student directly tells them, and asks for confidentiality. In those cases, they need to be able to turn to someone. If New Hampshire passes this dangerous bill, young people will not be able to turn to their teachers or other school staff as trusted adults.
The Child Advocate of New Hampshire knows what LGBTQ+ people have been saying: this bill harms children. In her testimony against a similar bill that was tabled in the House, she talked about children who are abused by their families upon being outed as transgender. These children matter and need safe and trusted adults.
Forcing anyone to come out to more people before they’re ready is wrong. Full stop.
[Optional: your personal testimony here]
The bill has the high standard of “compelling state interest” when outlining possible exceptions to its measures. Often, parents fall short of the textbook definition of abuse but can still cause harm to their child’s mental health. And often, teachers lack the knowledge and facts to be able to prove when a student is at risk of abuse or neglect.
We are concerned that Republican leadership will force a vote on a day when they know they can win. Please support LGBTQ+ youth and represent your constituents accurately by doing everything in your power to be present when SB 272 is up for a vote. Your vote could be the difference between a child’s safety or harm.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
[Your name]