Welcoming Workplaces LGBTQ+
Our employees, their families and our communities thrive when each member can be their true self, making their own decisions about personal well-being. That’s the New Hampshire way. Laws that attack our LGBTQ+ friends, neighbors and families send the wrong message about what we all value, freedom for all.
An Open Letter Addressing the Slate of Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills To:
State Senators
State Representatives
Governor Chris Sununu
Given the extensive slate of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the 2024 session, we as business and workplaces in New Hampshire, feel it is important to stand together in support of the LGBTQ community. Our companies and organizations operate state wide, contributing to job creation and providing products, services and support for New Hampshire’s communities and beyond. We strongly believe that we excel when our people can bring their authentic selves to their work and their communities. For that reason, we prioritize creating environments fostering fairness, belonging, and opportunity.
As we work together to strengthen our state’s economy, we need our leaders in Concord laser focused on solutions that address limitations in our workforce development, like the housing and child care crises, both of which affect our abilities to recruit and retain workers. Without more housing, especially workforce housing and sufficient child care options during the workday, our ability to recruit the necessary workers for our workplaces becomes very difficult. Spending time on legislation to limit freedoms is counter-productive and better spent on barriers to achieving prosperity for all.
We hope to continue to grow and thrive as companies in this state but are troubled by the drumbeat of proposed legislation in the State House that unfairly targets LGBTQ individuals, particularly transgender youth. These bills aim to limit access to essential services and restrict participation in activities such as sports and the use of public facilities. Such discriminatory measures not only harm marginalized groups, but also undermine the principles of fairness and respect, and tarnish our state’s reputation.
These laws would negatively impact our employees and their families, creating unwelcome and unsafe environments in their communities. Discriminatory policies would affect our businesses, influencing our decisions on investment and growth. They also go against the fabric of our great state and in turn make it harder for us to recruit the people we need to run our businesses and organizations.
We have found that our workers are proud to live in New Hampshire because we treat each other with respect. We appreciate the leadership Governor Sununu and the 2018 legislature demonstrated in HB 1319, protecting the rights of transgender people. Discriminatory LGBTQ policies will chip away individual rights and be yet another thing that makes it hard for businesses in this state to get the workforce we need to keep our doors open.
As signatories of this letter, we remain committed to fostering safe and inclusive environments for our employees, their families, and our communities. We call on policymakers to prioritize fairness and freedom for all Granite Staters, ensuring that everyone feels welcome and respected wherever they live and work. In order to ensure our workplaces can continue to grow and innovate, we ask that you stop advancing anti-LGBTQ policies and focus on helping all people achieve their full potential.
Sincerely,
350 New Hampshire | Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services* | Prime Buchholz* |
36creative | HR Synergy, LLC | Prime Roast Coffee |
900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria | Human Being Human, LLC | Proximity Lab |
Allgood Strategies LLC | Hypertherm Associates* | Racial Unity Team |
Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Inc., (ACHS)* | iOffice Technologies | Reis & Kirkland |
Antioch University* | Impax Asset Management* | Rejuvenations Professional Massage |
Apotheca Flowers | JOBTALK | Reproductive Equity Now |
Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music | JP Judy Johnson | Resilient Buildings Group, Inc |
ApprenticeshipNH | Just Calm Down Skin & Nail Studio | Resolve New England |
Avalon North | Karen Lacharite, LLC | ReVision Energy* |
Beeze Tees | Keene Family YMCA* | Rights & Democracy |
Bi-State Primary Care Association | Keene Housing | Richardson Media Group |
Bill Maddocks Consulting LLC | Keene Housing Kids Collaborative | Ripple Effect Studio |
BLM NH | Keene Pride | Riverbend Community Mental Health* |
Brantwood Camp | Kelly Smith, LICSW | River's Edge salon LLC |
Brown & Company Design | Kimberly Knowlton-Young, LICSW | ROC USA, LLC |
Brown Computer Solutions | KPIP Law PLLC | Roots Cafe & Juice Bar |
Building Community in New Hampshire | Lamprey Health Care* | Saltwater Collective |
Brewbakers Cafe & Terra Nova Coffee | LISTEN Community Services | Sanborn Diversity Solutions |
Bruss Project Management | Little River Farmstead | Savings Bank of Walpole |
Camp Mowglis | Littleton Food Co-op* | Scrapp Inc |
Cedarcrest* | Little Village Toy & Book Shop | Seacoast Cryotherapy and Recovery LLC |
Center for Life Management* | Loftware, Inc* | Seacoast Mental Health Center, Inc.* |
Center for School Climate & Learning | Lovebirds Donuts | Seacoast Outright |
Chewlin Group | Lovering Health Center | SHARA Vineyards |
ChopShop MediaWorks | Making Space Consulting | Shire's Naturals |
Clay Culture Studios | Mariposa Museum & World Culture Center | Social Design Strategies |
Communicators Group | Mascoma Bank* | Southwestern Community Services, Inc.* |
Community Partners of Stafford County* | MAYO Designs Inc. | Spearpoint Strategies |
Contoocook Stoneworks, LLC | MegaFood* | St. John's Episcopal Church |
COOS COUNTY FAMILY HEALTH SVS* | Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester* | Stonyfield* |
Coppertoppe Inn and Retreat | MVSB (Meredith Village Savings Bank)* | Stout Heart |
Cornerstone Financial Planning | Mill + Co. | Stout Oak Farm |
Deep Roots Massage | Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention | Summit Workplace Solutions |
Diversity Workforce Coalition | Monadnock Conservancy | Sunrise Labs |
Eight Legged Octopus | Monadnock Food Co-op* | Sustainable Futures Consulting |
Electronic Imaging Materials Inc | Monadnock Humane Society | Sweaty Turtle Entertainment |
Elm City Coaching | Monadnock International Film Festival | Teatotaller |
Emerson St. Pottery | Moon Pool Studios | The Browne Center for Innovative Learning |
Enna Chocolate | MudCity Clay | The Center for Women and Enterprise |
Equality Health Center | NAMI New Hampshire | The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth |
Full Spectrum Wellness/re-Sourced | Neighborhood Access | The Community Kitchen |
Garland Mill | NEMO Equipment, Inc. | The Flower Room |
Get Tech Smart | New Directions Collaborative | The Making of Self |
Gibson's Bookstore & Café | New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp* | The Nest Vintage Home |
Girls at Work, Inc. | New Hampshire Youth Movement | The Northern Forest Center |
Green Lightning Energy | New Futures | The Notchland Inn |
Grim North LLC | New Perspective Consulting LLC | The Richards Group* |
Good Earth Farm | Next Level Partnership, LLC | The Toadstool Bookshops |
GoodWork | NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees | The Waysmeet Center and Cornucopia Food Pantry |
Granite United Way | NH Businesses for Social Responsibility | Tristate Chimney Sweepe |
Greater Monadnock Collaborative | NH Charitable Foundation | Thorne's of Concord |
Greater Seacoast Community Health* | Northern Pictures | Turnage Barbershop |
Green Wave Electric Vehicles | PMAC - Portsmouth Music and Arts Center | Upper Valley Haven |
Grim North LLC | Paragon Digital Marketing | Unchartered.org |
Hair By Monica | Penumbra | Urban Soul Boutique |
Hannah Grimes Center, Inc. | Persimmon Consulting, LLC | Vital Communities |
Hanover Co-op Food Stores & Auto Service Centers of NH & VT* | Phin | W.S. Badger Company, Inc |
Harbor Care* | Placework | Water Street Bookstore, Inc. |
Harm Reduction Circle | Planned Parenthood of Northern New England* | Waypoint* |
HELM Construction Solutions | Positive Tracks | YouthWell New Hampshire |
Pride Toolbox |
* Companies with over 100 employees.